Blazing Lilies
by TheShadowedWarrior
Summary: An inch can make all the difference in the world. When Moonflower survives the raid against WindClan, Bluepaw's life changes in ways she never expected. Suddenly, she has a father who actually pays attention to her and a new baby sister who's as sweet as a flower and as wild as a newleaf storm.
1. WindClan Raid

**Welcome to another kitty book! Sadly, I still don't own Warriors...even though I should. If anyone wants to put in a good word for me, tell Harper Collins to send me an email. **

* * *

Bluepaw froze in horror as Hawkheart's teeth fastened into Moonflower's neck. With enough strength to rival even that of TigerClan, the WindClan medicine cat threw her halfway across the camp where she fell with a sickening thud.

"No!" Bluepaw wailed, struggling to free herself from Swiftbreeze's grasp in order to reach her mother.

"Bluepaw, stay down!" Swiftbreeze hissed.

"But we have to help her!" Bluepaw pleaded.

"She's just dazed, Bluepaw. She'll get up in a moment," the tabby queen meowed.

"She doesn't _have _a moment!" the blue-gray apprentice protested, still struggling to get to Moonflower.

Hawkheart was stalking over to the motionless queen, his claws scraping the earth with every step and his teeth bared in a snarl. He looked down at Moonflower. Even from her vantage point, Bluepaw could clearly make out the hatred and righteous fury in his eyes.

"ThunderClan, retreat!" Pinestar's yowl sounded above the din of the raging battle.

_Thank StarClan! _

Finally managing to free herself from Swiftbreeze, Bluepaw raced over to her mother's body. Blood was pouring from a wound in her throat, and for a moment, Bluepaw feared the worst. To her relief, however, as she pressed her nose into Moonflower's fur, she could feel the faint rise and fall of her flank. Sunfall and Swiftbreeze padded up beside her, their eyes glinting with worry.

"Moonflower's okay!" she told them, relief making her voice shake.

Sunfall nodded, his eyes grim. "We need to get her back to the camp," he told her. "She's hurt badly. Goosefeather and Featherwhisker will need to treat her wounds."

Bluepaw hardly noticed as Heatherstar stalked over to Pinestar, her lips drawn back in a snarl and her fur bristling. Nor did she notice the glares of the WindClan warriors on the backs of the defeated ThunderClan patrol as they made their way back to their own territory, or even Snowpaw as her sister bounded over to her side. It didn't matter that they had lost the battle and that WindClan would probably be looking for revenge. Moonflower was _alive_. Nothing else seemed to matter at the moment.

"Is Moonflower okay?" Snowpaw asked, bringing the blue-furred apprentice back to reality.

"She will be," Bluepaw reassured her sister. "Sunfall said that Goosefeather and Featherwhisker will treat her when we get back home."

She expected Snowpaw to be pleased, but instead, the white apprentice frowned and asked, "Sunfall? What about Stormtail? He's supposed to be our father; shouldn't he be checking on Moonflower?"

Bluepaw frowned to herself. Now that she thought about it, Stormtail's failure to check up on Moonflower _did _seem strange. Of course, it was possible that he had simply been too busy during the battle, but what about afterward? She was beginning to accept the fact that her father wasn't too interested in his kits, but now he was acting as if he didn't care about his mate.

"I don't know," she admitted finally. "Maybe he just doesn't know yet?"

"Maybe," Snowpaw echoed, sounding as though she didn't quite believe it herself.

When she looked a few tail-lengths ahead and saw their father walking beside Dappletail, allowing the pretty tortoiseshell to lean on him for support, Bluepaw found it hard to disagree.

* * *

As soon as the patrol arrived back at the ThunderClan camp, Sunfall and Swiftbreeze carried Moonflower's still-unconscious form to the medicine den. Goosefeather and Featherwhisker hurried after them as Larksong, Mumblefoot, and Weedwhisker poked their heads out of the elders' den.

"Did you win?" Larksong called out.

"No," Pinestar replied heavily, his head bowed slightly. Bluepaw stared at him, startled at seeing her leader look so defeated. "No, we didn't."

"It was a waste of time right from the start. We should have known not to trust one of Goosefeather's omens," Adderfang growled, though whether his anger was directed at the medicine cat or simply a result of the humiliation of their defeat was impossible to tell.

"Hush!" Weedwhisker reprimanded him. "Goosefeather has served ThunderClan for many moons. You would do well to respect him!"

Privately, however, Bluepaw couldn't help thinking that Adderfang had a point. Regardless of what his intentions might have been, Goosefeather's omen had nearly gotten Moonflower killed. He had said that StarClan wanted them to attack WindClan's medicine stores, but if that were true, surely they would have won the battle with ease. She shook her head, trying to brush her thoughts off.

_I can't think like that. Goosefeather might be Moonflower's only hope. I have to trust that he's going to heal her. _

Sunfall emerged from the medicine den, and Bluepaw bounded over to him with Snowpaw hot on her heels. The bright ginger tom paused as they skidded to a halt in front of him, waiting for the two apprentices to speak.

"Can we see Moonflower? Please?" Bluepaw begged.

"I'll bet she wants to see us," Snowpaw added.

However, Sunfall just shook his head. "Not yet," he replied gently. "Goosefeather and Featherwhisker are still treating her and they need all the space they can get. But she's going to be fine. Her wounds are deep, but nothing that won't heal with some herbs and a few nights in the medicine den."

Snowpaw nodded and Bluepaw asked, "Will you let us know when we can see her?"

"Of course," Sunfall meowed kindly. "I have to speak to Pinestar now, but Goosefeather wanted me to tell you two and Stormtail the news."

The ThunderClan deputy glanced across the clearing, his eyes narrowing at something on the opposite side of the camp. Curious, Bluepaw followed his gaze, wondering what had upset Sunfall so much. It didn't take her long to figure it out. Stormtail was seated beside Dappletail, gently cleaning the younger warrior's wounds, his flank pressed up against hers. Even from where she stood, Bluepaw could see that there was a certain warmth in her father's eyes that had never been present whenever he looked at Moonflower.

"Look at him! He doesn't even care about Moonflower!" Snowpaw spat, glaring at Stormtail.

"I know," Bluepaw agreed, bitter resentment rising up in her throat.

Sunfall stalked over to Stormtail and Dappletail, his shoulders stiff. "Moonflower is going to be okay," he told the blue-gray tom in a voice like ice.

"That's good to hear," Stormtail meowed politely. "You should let Bluepaw and Snowpaw know."

"I already did. Unlike you, they actually care about what happens to her," Sunfall meowed coldly.

Without waiting for Stormtail's response, the deputy turned around and stalked towards the Highrock where Pinestar's den resided. Bluepaw could see her father staring after Sunfall with undisguised anger in his eyes until Dappletail nudged him gently. She felt a surge of anger as he turned to lick her forehead. It hadn't even been a full day yet, and already he was moving on to another cat.

"Come on," she meowed to Snowpaw. "Let's go hunting."

"Good idea," Snowpaw agreed, her eyes lighting up. "We can bring something back for Moonflower when she wakes up."

Together, the two apprentices raced across the camp to where their mentors, Stonepelt and Sparrowpelt, were talking in hushed voices with Adderfang, Tawnyspots, and Thrushpelt. They turned to look at Bluepaw and Snowpaw as they approached, curiosity in their gazes.

"Is Moonflower okay?" Stonepelt asked.

"Sunfall said she's going to be fine," Bluepaw told her mentor, feeling a slight pang. _Why doesn't Stormtail care as much as Stonepelt? _

"We were wondering if we could go hunting," Snowpaw requested politely. "When Moonflower wakes up, we can bring her something to eat."

"And we didn't fight today, so we don't need to be treated," Bluepaw added.

"That's a good idea," Sparrowpelt meowed approvingly.

Stonepelt nodded slowly. "Very well, but make sure you two stay together and don't go anywhere near the borders," he ordered. "We don't want to run into an enemy patrol after today, especially not one from WindClan."

"We will," Bluepaw promised, racing towards the gorse tunnel with Snowpaw following close behind.

The forest was quiet as the two sisters made their way through the territory, keeping their senses alert for any sign of prey. As they rounded a bend, Bluepaw spotted a rabbit burrowing through some leaves a few tail-lengths away. Dropping into the hunting crouch, she stalked forward quickly, keeping her movements silent so as not to alert the rabbit to her presence. Once she was about three whisker-lengths away, she pounced, killing it in one swift bite. She sat up with her rabbit clutched in her jaws, feeling a surge of triumph.

"Nice one!" Snowpaw purred.

"Thanks!" Bluepaw replied around a mouthful of fur. She buried the rabbit under a pile of leaves. "The next one's all yours."

It was nearly sunset by the time Bluepaw and Snowpaw started heading back to the camp, their jaws full of prey. They had already agreed to give Moonflower a thrush that Bluepaw had caught when she woke up. She had caught it last, which meant it would be warmer than the other pieces of fresh-kill. Of course, there wouldn't be that much of a difference between the thrush and any of the other prey, but Bluepaw was determined to only give the best fresh-kill to her mother.

As they drew closer to the camp, the two apprentices stopped in their tracks as the sound of arguing reached their ears. Sunfall and Stormtail's voices sounded from several fox-lengths away, each one raised in anger. Bluepaw and Snowpaw ducked behind a tree, holding their breath to try to listen in on their argument.

"What goes on between me and Moonflower is none of your business, Sunfall," Stormtail growled.

"I'm the deputy of this Clan, in case you didn't remember. _Every _cat is my concern–mine and Pinestar's," Sunfall snapped. "And I would think that you would show a little more concern for your mate who, in case you weren't aware, was almost killed by Hawkheart today."

"But she wasn't," the blue-furred tom retorted.

_How can he be so heartless? _Bluepaw thought angrily.

"How can you be so heartless?" Sunfall demanded, and she would have laughed if the situation weren't so distressing. "First you ignore Moonflower during the battle, then you choose to comfort Dappletail instead of checking on her while she's being treated in the medicine den. She's the mother of your kits, Stormtail. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

For a moment, there was no response. After a few heartbeats, however, Stormtail let out a sigh.

"Look," he meowed slowly. "If you must know, things with Moonflower just got...well, I'll put it simply. There was no–what's the term I'm looking for?–_spark _anymore. Things just weren't...exciting to me like they were when we first got together. That's all. It's not that I don't care about her, but Dappletail..."

His voice trailed off. Rather than pacifying Sunfall, however, his explanation only seemed to have angered him further.

"So that's it?" the ThunderClan deputy meowed in disbelief. "You're abandoning your critically-injured mate for another molly because you got _bored _of her?"

"I–"

"Don't say a word," Sunfall growled. "You're pathetic, Stormtail. Moonflower deserves better than you."

Bluepaw and Snowpaw straightened up as the bright ginger tom started walking in their direction. Slowly, they stepped out from behind the tree, trying to look as though they hadn't been eavesdropping. Sunfall sighed when he saw them, the fur on his shoulders slowly beginning to lie flat. Bluepaw's fur felt hot with guilt. Did he know they had been listening to his argument with Stormtail?

To her relief, if Sunfall was at all aware of the fact that they had been eavesdropping, he made no mention of it. Instead, he simply meowed, "Well done, both of you. Let's get your prey back to the camp and we can see if Moonflower is awake yet."

Stormtail was already back at the camp when the three cats returned. Bluepaw glanced at Sunfall to see if the ginger tom would say anything to her father, but he stalked right past without so much as a glance in Stormtail's direction. Out of curiosity, she turned her head slightly to see if Stormtail was watching and was disappointed but unsurprised to see that he was busy sharing tongues with Dappletail again.

_I guess that's it, then, _she thought. If Sunfall's lecture hadn't been enough of a wake-up call, then nothing would be.

Bluepaw deposited her load in the fresh-kill pile, keeping the thrush to take to Moonflower. She followed Sunfall and Snowpaw to the medicine den, feeling a twinge of pride at the approving glances her Clanmates gave her. As they pushed their way through the fern tunnel, she spotted Featherwhisker and Goosefeather applying various herbs to Moonflower's pelt. At first, Bluepaw thought her mother was still asleep, but as they walked closer, she lifted her head and purred weakly in greeting.

"How are you two?" she asked.

"We're fine," Snowpaw assured her.

"We brought you a thrush," Bluepaw announced, placing the bird by her mother's paws.

Moonflower purred softly, taking a bite of the thrush. "Thank you," she meowed. "I'm lucky to have two brilliant daughters."

Bluepaw flushed slightly and looked down at her paws, hoping her mother wouldn't think she was being arrogant.

"Alright you two, don't stay too long. Moonflower needs to rest," Featherwhisker ordered. "The sooner she can start resting, the sooner she'll be able to leave."

"Okay," Bluepaw meowed respectfully, turning to leave the den. Casting one last look at Moonflower, she asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Moonflower meowed gently. "Goosefeather and Featherwhisker are taking good care of me."

Bluepaw nodded and followed Snowpaw and Sunfall out of the medicine den and back into the clearing. She knew the medicine cats would do everything they could to heal her mother, but she couldn't help worrying. What if something went wrong and Moonflower took a turn for the worse while Goosefeather and Featherwhisker were asleep or away from the medicine den? She was too weak to move, much less grab any herbs to take care of herself.

"Are you okay?" Snowpaw asked.

"I'm worried about Moonflower," Bluepaw admitted. "I know Goosefeather and Featherwhisker are doing their best, but what if something goes wrong?"

"I know," her sister agreed. "I'm worried too. But we have to trust that StarClan will let Moonflower live. And that Goosefeather and Featherwhisker will stop at nothing to ensure that she gets better. Moonflower trusts them to take care of her, so we should as well."

Bluepaw flicked her tail in agreement and allowed Snowpaw to touch her nose comfortingly to her cheek. Her sister was right. If Moonflower trusted Goosefeather and Featherwhisker's skills, then she shouldn't be doubting them. After all, there was nobody in the Clan with their knowledge of healing and herbs–if they couldn't do it, nobody could.

* * *

**So yeah, in case it wasn't obvious, I really dislike Stormtail. I don't think he was _evil _or anything and I also don't think he was responsible for Moonflower's death, but he was definitely an asshole. In canon, he decided to help Dappletail home instead of helping carry his mate's dead body, which should tell you all you need to know about him. **

**Moonflower x Sunfall is going to become a thing because yes. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	2. A Flower Blooms

"Bluepaw, Snowpaw, come in and meet your new sister."

Bluepaw pushed her way into the nursery after Snowpaw, walking slowly over to her mother's nest. Sunfall was seated beside her, a proud gleam in his amber eyes. As she padded closer, she spotted a tiny bundle of white fur at Moonflower's belly. Her heart softened at the sight of the little molly. She looked almost exactly like Snowpaw, except her ears were pure white instead of gray.

"She's so pretty," Bluepaw whispered.

"Of course," Speckletail purred from a few nests away where her own kits, Lionkit and Goldenkit, were busy suckling. "All newborn kits are lovely, and any child of Moonflower's is sure to be beautiful."

"What's her name?" Snowpaw asked.

"We've decided to name her Lilykit," Moonflower answered, touching her nose to her newborn daughter's ear. Lilykit gave a small mewl of protest and snuggled closer to the tabby queen.

"When will she open her eyes?" Bluepaw asked, still looking down at her newborn sister.

"Patience, my sweet," Moonflower meowed gently. "She'll open her eyes in her own time."

A few nests away, Poppydawn shook her head. "That's the same thing your mother said when you were born, Bluepaw."

Bluepaw nodded, vaguely remembering her second day in ThunderClan. Swiftbreeze had been pestering her mother as to why she hadn't opened her eyes yet, and Moonflower had scolded her, saying that Bluepaw–Bluekit then–would open her eyes when she was ready. She looked down at Lilykit, wondering how long it would be until her sister woke up. It had taken her and Snowpaw about two days to wake up, so perhaps it would be the same for Lilykit. According to Swiftbreeze, Leopardpaw and Patchpaw had opened their eyes almost as soon as they were born, but Bluepaw wasn't sure she believed that story.

Thistlekit bounded over to take a look at his new denmate, nearly knocking Bluepaw over as he ran past her. She scowled at the younger cat, giving her chest fur a few licks. Although Thistlekit had only just reached his sixth moon–Poppydawn expected that Pinestar would hold her kits' apprentice ceremony within the next few days–he was already bigger than Bluepaw. His two sisters, Rosekit and Sweetkit, were considerably smaller than their massive littermate. Bluepaw sometimes suspected that Thistlekit stole their milk.

"She looks tiny," the spiky tom meowed, staring down at Lilykit.

"That's because she was just born," Moonflower told him patiently. "She'll grow."

Thistlekit puffed up his chest. "Well, I'll bet she'll never be as big as _me_."

Snowpaw purred. "Of course, not," she meowed, giving the gray and white kit a friendly nudge.

Bluepaw rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to remark that there was more to a warrior than size but was cut off as Moonflower let out a soft gasp. Turning her head, she saw that Lilykit had opened her eyes. They were a deep blue, but Bluepaw knew from watching Thistlekit, Rosekit, and Sweetkit grow that the color might change within a moon. The little white molly turned to look at the cats surrounding her, curiosity filling her expression.

"Hello, little one," Moonflower purred, licking her daughter's ears gently.

"Hello!" Lilykit meowed cheerfully. She looked around at Sunfall. "Who's that?"

"I'm your father, Sunfall," the ThunderClan deputy answered kindly. Gesturing with his tail towards Bluepaw and Snowpaw, he continued, "And these are your sisters, Bluepaw and Snowpaw."

Lilykit climbed out of Moonflower's nest and hopped over to stand in front of Bluepaw, gazing up at her with wide, curious eyes. Bluepaw purred and touched her nose to her sister's forehead. Snowpaw touched her tail gently to Lilykit's shoulder, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Hi, Bluepaw, hi Snowpaw," Lilykit meowed happily. "Are you two really my sisters?"

"Yes, we are," Bluepaw replied.

"Cool!" the white kit exclaimed.

"I'm Rosekit." Bluepaw moved aside to allow the ginger-tailed molly to greet Lilykit.

"My name's Sweetkit," Sweetkit introduced herself. "And that's our brother, Thistlekit."

Lilykit's eyes widened at the sight of the older kits. "Wow, you guys are really big!"

"That's because we're going to become apprentices in a few days," Thistlekit told her haughtily. "We'll be moving to the apprentices' den with Snowpaw and Bluepaw and we're going to train to become warriors."

"Are they going to teach you how to groom properly too?" Lilykit asked innocently.

Bluepaw fought back a snort of laughter as Thistlekit's jaw dropped open in shock. Rosekit and Sweetkit were doubled over in hysterics while Snowpaw looked torn between laughing and comforting Thistlekit. Moonflower, Poppydawn, and Sunfall shook their heads. Lilykit looked around at the older cats, her eyes filled with confusion.

"What did I say?" she asked.

Poppydawn sighed. "Thistlekit's fur _is _groomed, little one," she explained patiently. "His fur just sticks up more than other cats'."

"Oh...sorry," Lilykit apologized to the older kit.

However, Thistlekit just sneered at her and stormed back over to his nest. Bluepaw frowned after him, annoyed at the spiky-furred kit's behavior. Her sister hadn't been trying to hurt his feelings, and besides, she had apologized. Why couldn't he just accept it? It wasn't as though she had said anything particularly hurtful. She probably hadn't even meant anything by it.

"Alright, Lilykit," Moonflower murmured. "It's time for you to take a nap."

Bluepaw knew that was her cue to leave. Meowing a quick farewell to her family, she turned away and pushed her way out of the nursery. A heartbeat later, Snowpaw joined her and the two sisters headed over to the fresh-kill pile to grab a piece of prey to share. Finally settling on a large thrush, Bluepaw took her meal over to the mossy stump where the apprentices ate, casting a glance at Stormtail near the warriors' den as she walked past.

The blue-gray tom hadn't spoken to Moonflower since she left Goosefeather's den and often went out of his way to avoid crossing paths with her. Moonflower herself didn't care, and Sunfall suspected that Stormtail was simply too ashamed of his behavior to face his former mate. As for Bluepaw, she took after Moonflower in that she didn't particularly care. Once, she would have pleaded with StarClan to make Stormtail want to be around his family, but those days were gone. After the way he had so callously abandoned Moonflower for Dappletail, Bluepaw had stopped considering Stormtail her father. Instead, that honor went to Sunfall, her mother's new mate–and Bluepaw's new mentor as well.

During the raid against WindClan, Stonepelt had sustained an injury that never quite healed properly. As a result of this, he was forced to move into the elders' den since he could no longer hunt or fight properly. Bluepaw had been given Sunfall as a new mentor, and not long after that, he and Moonflower had officially become mates. Sometimes, Bluepaw suspected that Pinestar had purposely named the deputy her mentor to try to get the two of them together.

Taking a seat beside Snowpaw, the blue-gray molly took a bite out of the thrush and chewed contentedly. She had a new little sister, her mother was alive and well, and she was on her way to earning her warrior name. The only thing that promised to put a damper on her happiness was Thistlekit. Bluepaw felt her lip curl at the memory of the spiky-furred tom's treatment of Lilykit. Snowpaw glanced over at her in concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "You look upset about something."

"It's Thistlekit," Bluepaw admitted, lashing her tail. "Can you believe how rude he was to Lilykit earlier?"

Snowpaw flicked her ear. "Well, Lilykit _did _insult him," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, though. Kits say stuff like that all the time," Bluepaw retorted. "And besides, she said she was sorry, but that apparently wasn't good enough. What more does Thistlekit expect anyway?"

"I know that it wasn't mature of him," her sister agreed, shifting about awkwardly. "But maybe Thistlekit was just in a bad mood. Or maybe he's just sensitive. He'll probably get over it sooner or later."

Bluepaw just grunted in agreement and took another bite out of her thrush. She admired Snowpaw's willingness to see the best in others, she really did, but she had a feeling that her impression of Thistlekit wasn't about to change anytime soon.

* * *

**Lilykit is here! Bluepaw is already very protective of her baby sister. But then again, who wouldn't want to protect the babies? Well...except for Brokenstar, that is. **

**I've also started setting the scene for the dynamics between Lilykit and Thistlekit. Will they be friends? Spoiler alert...well, not really because the answer is probably obvious, but...no. No, they will not. However, I do have several plans for them in the future (and no, they are not going to become mates). **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	3. Enemies Like These

Lilykit pounced on a ball of moss, waiting impatiently for Bluepaw and Snowpaw to return from their hunting session so they could play together. She was the only kitten in the nursery now–Lionpaw and Goldenpaw had been made apprentices two moons ago–and as a result, her days were often filled with hours of boredom. Of course, Moonflower played with her whenever she had time, but there was something different about playing with cats her age.

The entrance to the camp rustled and Lilykit looked up from her moss ball hopefully. She scowled, however, when she saw that the cats who emerged from the tunnel were not either of her sisters but Thistlepaw and Rosepaw. While Lilykit didn't mind Rosepaw, over the past few moons, she had grown to dislike Thistlepaw. He was arrogant and self-centered, always boasting about a piece of prey he had caught or a new battle move he had mastered while refusing to allow his denmates to get a word in edgewise.

_Get over yourself, _Lilykit often wanted to sneer whenever Thistlepaw started talking. _You're not doing anything special. _

Even worse, there were cats in the Clan _validating _the conceited apprentice's behavior. Snowpaw was one of the most prominent supporters of Thistlepaw–as much as Lilykit loved her older sister, she didn't think she would ever understand why this was. At least Bluepaw didn't feel the need to stare admiringly at the gray and white tom whenever he walked past her.

"Adderfang says he's going to teach me battle moves tomorrow," she heard Thistlepaw meowing to Rosepaw, an air of great importance about him. "He says I should be earning my warrior name soon. He told me I have the best fighting technique he's ever seen."

"That's great, Thistlepaw," the gray tabby purred. "Tawnyspots told me–"

"I hope I get to test my skills in a _real _fight soon," Thistlepaw went on, seemingly unaware that his sister had spoken. He dug his claws into the earth. "The other Clans will be no match for me."

Lilykit rolled her eyes and went back to playing with her moss ball. She had seen Thistlepaw practice a few battle moves before, and she had to admit that he wasn't the worst fighter she had ever seen. Indeed, Adderfang's assessment that the spiky-furred apprentice had the best technique he had ever seen probably held some merit. But there was no way he could beat _all _of the other Clans. He was still just an apprentice, after all; there were better warriors than him out there. One of these days, he was going to get himself killed if he didn't learn to tone his arrogance down a little.

_Please, please, don't let them come over here, _Lilykit silently begged StarClan. _Just let me wait for Bluepaw and Snowpaw in peace. _

"Oh, there's Lilykit! Hey, Lilykit!" Rosepaw called out, waving her tail in greeting.

_Fox dung! _

The white kit let out a sigh through clenched teeth as the two apprentices walked over to her. She forced her expression to look as cheerful as possible, resisting the urge to kick Thistlepaw in the muzzle. He even _looked _smug and he wasn't saying anything.

"How are you doing?" Rosepaw asked cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the younger molly's foul mood.

"Fine," Lilykit muttered, glaring at Thistlepaw, who merely smirked at her.

"Someone's grumpy," he meowed condescendingly.

"No thanks to you, Thistlepaw," she sneered back. "I'm surprised anyone in this forest can be in a good mood with you around."

Rosepaw glanced between the two of them nervously. "Okay, there's no need for you two to fight..."

Thistlepaw shook his head. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed with his littermate, sneering at Lilykit. "I don't have time for your petty jealousy, kit."

"_Jealousy_?" Lilykit scoffed in disbelief. "And just what do I have to be jealous of _you _for, might I ask?"

"I'm the best fighter in the Clan," Thistlepaw boasted, puffing his chest out.

"Sure, you are," Lilykit retorted, rolling her eyes. Honestly, what did Snowpaw see in this cat? "The only thing you're even remotely close to being the best at is being able to stand upright under the massive weight of your enormous head without toppling over after two heartbeats."

"I'm still a better fighter than _you_."

"You've been training for five moons and I haven't even started. I would be a little worried if you _weren't _a better fighter than me at this point."

"Lilykit! Lilykit, we're back!"

Relief shot through Lilykit as she spotted her sisters emerging from the gorse tunnel. Quickly, she bounded over to greet them, her bad mood completely forgotten now that Bluepaw and Snowpaw had returned. Her sisters were each carrying a small load of prey that they deposited onto the fresh-kill pile before coming over to greet her.

"Are you having a good day?" Bluepaw asked, touching her nose to Lilykit's forehead.

"Yeah! Or, well, at least I was until _someone _showed up," she growled, glaring at Thistlepaw. The gray and white apprentice glared right back before turning around and marching off to his den. Rosepaw glanced at Lilykit apologetically, then turned and hurried after her brother.

Snowpaw shook her head. "Did you two get into _another _argument?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Maybe," Lilykit muttered mutinously.

"Come on, Lilykit," her sister meowed tiredly. "He's really not that bad. Why can't you just _try _to get along with him?"

"I have a good reason."

"Which is?"

"I don't like him!" she snapped. "He's so...so full of himself. Every single time he talks, it's always about himself. _Guess what? I caught a pigeon today. I learned the front-paw swipe. My mentor is teaching me a new battle move tomorrow. _Who _cares_? And he thinks we should be _impressed _by him! I mean, he does realize that every single apprentice learns how to hunt and fight and he's not anything special, right?"

"Well, you're not wrong," Bluepaw agreed, glancing at Snowpaw. "No offense, but I really don't know why you like him so much."

Snowpaw let out a sigh. "I know he can come across as arrogant sometimes, but that's just because he wants to impress others. He's a nice cat once you get to know him," she insisted.

"I'll take your word for it," Lilykit replied dubiously. Eager to change the subject, she asked, "So did your hunting trip go well today?"

"It went alright," Bluepaw answered, flicking her tail. "The prey was poorer than usual today, but we managed to catch a few pieces to bring back for the Clan."

"That's good," she meowed. A little more wistfully, she added, "I wish _I _could go hunting with you guys."

"Don't worry, you will," Snowpaw meowed, giving her an encouraging nudge. "Once you become an apprentice, we'll all go hunting together."

"One more moon," Lilykit sighed.

"Don't worry," Bluepaw meowed sympathetically, tapping her tail against her shoulder. "You'll be training before you know it."

"I know," she agreed. Perking up a little, she added, "I can't wait to see who Pinestar picks to be my mentor. Maybe I'll get Thrushpelt. Or Windflight. Or what about Robinwing? Oh, I know, maybe if you two become warriors before I get a mentor, I can have Sunfall too!"

Bluepaw laughed. "Maybe you will," she meowed.

"What do you think your warrior names will be anyway?" Lilykit asked. "I can't wait to find out what _my _warrior name is going to be. But I don't know what I want it to be. As long as I'm not called Lilyflower or Lilypetal or anything like that. Will you make sure that Pinestar doesn't name me any of those? I'll help too. I'm going to think of a plan to stop him if I need to."

"Hey now, slow down there a little!" Snowpaw purred, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You haven't even started training yet. There's still a lot of time left before you'll earn your warrior name."

However, Lilykit wasn't listening anymore. Instead, she turned around and wandered back over to the nursery, talking to herself as she tried to come up with a plan to prevent Pinestar from ever naming her Lilyflower or Lilypetal.


	4. Lilypaw

A rustling sound awoke Bluepaw from a dream in which she'd been stalking a pigeon near the Great Sycamore. Grumbling to herself in annoyance, she sat up in her nest and looked around the apprentices' den to see which of her denmates had woken her up. To her bewilderment, however, she saw that the other nests were completely empty. She glanced toward the entrance to the den, wondering if someone was trying to play a prank on her.

"Hello?" Bluepaw called out tentatively. "Snowpaw? Rosepaw? Sweetpaw? Thistlepaw? Lionpaw? Goldenpaw? Are you guys out there?"

There was no response at first. Then, just as she was about to go outside and investigate for herself, Bluepaw found herself being knocked onto her back as something–or rather, someone–came crashing into her. Letting out a yelp of surprise, Bluepaw was about to swipe at her attacker's face when she realized it was Lilykit. Quickly letting her paw drop, she growled good-naturedly as she struggled to free herself from her sister's grasp.

"Lilykit, get off!" she protested. "Just how big have you gotten lately?"

"Bluepaw, guess what? It's today!" Lilykit meowed excitedly, completely ignoring her older sister's request.

"What is?" Bluepaw asked in confusion.

"Pinestar told Moonflower that I'm going to be an apprentice," the white molly meowed, bouncing up and down. Bluepaw winced in pain and she quickly stopped. "Oops, sorry."

"That's wonderful," Bluepaw purred, reaching up with her tail to flick Lilykit affectionately over her ears.

Lilykit nodded and opened her mouth again when the familiar call from Pinestar sounded from outside the den. Squealing in excitement, the white molly jumped off of Bluepaw and raced outside, leaving her sister alone in her nest. Shaking her head in amusement, Bluepaw got out of her nest and pushed her way out of the den, heading toward the throng of cats gathered beneath the Highrock. Moonflower was seated beside Sunfall, both of them looking on at Lilykit with pride shining in their gazes. Rosepaw and Sweetpaw were sitting with Lionpaw and Goldenpaw. The four apprentices appeared to be whispering about something, and Bluepaw wondered what they were talking about.

As she went to take a seat by her parents, Bluepaw was displeased to notice that Snowpaw and Thistlepaw were sitting together on the opposite side of the clearing. Her littermate was looking excitedly at Lilykit, but Thistlepaw's sneer was clearly visible even from her vantage point. Bluepaw fought back a growl as the gray and white tom leaned over to whisper something in Snowpaw's ear, glancing meaningfully at Lilykit. If Thistlepaw wanted to ruin this day for her little sister, he was going to have to answer to Bluepaw first. She felt a flicker of satisfaction when Snowpaw shot him a reproachful look and whispered something back that caused Thistlepaw to flatten his ears apologetically.

_Good, _Bluepaw thought. _Now we know who is better._

"ThunderClan, it brings me great joy to announce that one of our kits will begin her training as a warrior today," Pinestar announced from the top of the Highrock. "Lilykit has reached her sixth moon, and as our Clan's tradition states, it is time for her to become an apprentice. Lilykit, please step forward."

Bluepaw watched as her younger sister stepped forward, a proud tilt to her head. Thistlepaw glared, if possible, even more intensely, but Lilykit didn't even seem to notice as she waited for Pinestar to speak the words that would signal her transition from a kit to an apprentice of ThunderClan.

"Lilykit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Lilypaw," the reddish-brown tom meowed. "Thrushpelt, you will be Lilypaw's mentor. You received excellent training from Windflight and I trust that you will pass on everything he taught you onto this apprentice."

Thrushpelt dipped his head respectfully and padded over to his new apprentice. Lilypaw practically bounced over to him and the two cats touched noses, completing the ceremony.

"Lilypaw! Lilypaw!" Bluepaw began cheering for her sister.

Moonflower and Sunfall joined in as well, followed by Snowpaw and the rest of the Clan. Even Thistlepaw managed to put aside his dislike of Lilypaw long enough to at least growl her name halfheartedly. Bluepaw winced as she realized that her little sister would have to share a den with Thistlepaw for at least a couple of moons. She sent a silent word of thanks to StarClan that at least she wouldn't have to put up with the spiky-furred apprentice for much longer. Sunfall had told her the previous day that she was ready for her warrior name, and Pinestar had agreed to hold the ceremony within the next few days.

Actually, he had originally offered to make Bluepaw and Snowpaw warriors today, but the two littermates had politely declined. Lilypaw had been looking forward to becoming an apprentice and they didn't want to take any attention away from her. Besides, if they waited a few days, it meant they would get to share a den with their sister for at least a few days.

"Congratulations," she purred when Lilypaw raced over to her.

"Thanks, Bluepaw," Lilypaw meowed happily.

Snowpaw walked over to join them and touched her nose to the younger white molly's ear. "Well done," she meowed warmly.

Lilypaw nodded and was about to respond when Moonflower and Sunfall approached the three sisters, giving her a gentle lick over her ears. She purred happily, bumping her head against her mother's shoulder affectionately. Sunfall tapped her on the shoulder with his tail, his amber eyes full of warmth.

"We're so proud of you," Moonflower meowed, brushing her nose against her daughter's cheek. "You're going to be a wonderful warrior, Lilypaw."

"Now remember, make sure to listen and do everything Thrushpelt tells you," Sunfall told her. "And the same goes for other warriors as well."

"I will," Lilypaw promised, staring at her father with earnest amber eyes.

"Lilypaw, come on! We're going to explore the territory today," Thrushpelt called over from the gorse tunnel.

"Coming!" the white molly called back.

She bounded over to Thrushpelt, tossing a quick farewell to her family over her shoulder. Bluepaw watched as the sandy gray warrior walked out of the camp with Lilypaw following close behind. The blue-gray apprentice chuckled to herself; it was easy to see how excited Lilypaw was to finally be able to start her warrior training. She hadn't stopped talking about it for at least a quarter moon. Lilypaw had even started planning more ways to prevent Pinestar from naming her Lilyflower or Lilypetal. Bluepaw wasn't entirely sure what she had against those names–they sounded perfectly fine in her opinion–but she figured her sister had her reasons.

Snowpaw flicked her tail against Bluepaw's ears. "Come on, let's go find some moss so we can build a nest for Lilypaw," she meowed enthusiastically.

Bluepaw nodded, then stiffened as Thistlepaw walked over to them. The gray and white apprentice brushed his muzzle against Snowpaw's cheek, not even bothering to spare Bluepaw a glance. She glanced over at Moonflower and Sunfall to see what they thought of Thistlepaw's behavior, but her parents had already left.

"Adderfang said he wants me to go hunting. Want to come with me?" Thistlepaw asked, looking at Snowpaw hopefully.

However, Snowpaw shook her head. "Sorry, I can't," she meowed apologetically. "I'm going with Bluepaw to gather moss to make a nest for Lilypaw. Maybe we can go hunting together later."

Thistlepaw, however, did not take kindly to being rejected and for a moment, Bluepaw wondered if he was going to attack Snowpaw for turning down his offer to hunt with him.

"You're choosing that pathetic white cat over me?" he spat, his claws digging into the ground.

"What's her fur color got to do with anything?" Bluepaw asked.

"Stay out of this!" Thistlepaw growled at her. To Snowpaw, he added, "Why can't you just let Bluepaw gather the moss herself? I thought we were supposed to be friends!"

"We are!" Snowpaw protested. "Thistlepaw, wait, I–"

But Thistlepaw had already spun around and stalked off toward the gorse tunnel, his fur bristling and his tail held stiffly. Bluepaw padded forward and touched her tail-tip gently to Snowpaw's shoulder, who was staring despondently after the gray and white apprentice.

"Come on," she murmured. "Let's go gather moss now."

Snowpaw just nodded and followed her to the gorse tunnel, passing by Tawnyspots and Rosepaw on their way out of the camp. Bluepaw knew she should feel more sympathetic than she did, but a small part of her, one that she felt ashamed of, couldn't help feeling pleased that her sister had argued with Thistlepaw. She felt bad that her sister was upset, but that was as far as it went. Perhaps now Snowpaw would start to realize that Thistlepaw wasn't as perfect as he tried to make himself out to be.

The two sisters spent nearly all afternoon gathering moss for Lilypaw's nest. By the time they started to head back to the camp, the sun had already started to set. To Bluepaw's relief, Snowpaw seemed to have forgotten about her argument with Thistlepaw, and the white-furred molly was talking excitedly about their upcoming warrior ceremony.

"Can you believe it? We're really going to be warriors!" she meowed excitedly.

"I know," Bluepaw agreed, her spine prickling with anticipation. "What do you think Pinestar will name us?"

"I'm not sure," Snowpaw answered, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"I just want a simple name," Bluepaw admitted. She didn't like the thought of having a name that would draw too much attention to her. Not that there was anything wrong with unique names, but she had always believed that being simple was the best way to go. "Maybe he'll give us the same one."

"That would be cool," her littermate agreed. "But if we don't get the same name, I want mine to be Snowstorm. It sounds awesome, don't you think? Nice and fierce, just like a warrior name should be."

"You would also be named after the weather in that case," Bluepaw pointed out in amusement. Snowpaw rolled her eyes playfully.

"I wish we didn't have to leave Lilypaw so soon, though," she added a bit sadly.

"Yeah, me too," Snowpaw agreed. "But she'll be fine. Thrushpelt will teach her everything she needs to know and she'll have the other apprentices to keep her company."

Bluepaw nodded in agreement. Privately, however, she thought that sharing a den with Thistlepaw wasn't exactly something for Lilypaw to look forward to. Never mind the fact that Thistlepaw was even more arrogant than a RiverClan warrior, Lilypaw disliked him almost as much as Bluepaw did.

When they arrived back home, Lilypaw was nowhere to be seen. Bluepaw didn't think much of this, however, since it usually took a while to tour all of ThunderClan's territory. One cat she did see, however, was Thistlepaw, who was sitting by the mossy stump where the apprentices shared their meals, a half-eaten mouse at his paws. As they passed by him to start fixing up Lilypaw's nest for her, Snowpaw glanced hopefully in his direction, but the spiky-furred tom refused to meet her gaze. Snowpaw's tail hit the ground sadly and she walked the rest of the way to the den with her head bowed.

"Hey," Bluepaw meowed quietly, nudging her sister gently. "Don't worry about him. He'll get over it eventually."

"I guess," Snowpaw agreed, sounding as though she wasn't too sure about it herself. She shook her head. "Come on, let's just work on building Lilypaw's so she'll have something to rest in when she gets back."

Fortunately, it didn't take the two littermates long to finish building the nest. When they were done, Lilypaw had finally returned to the camp with Thrushpelt. She looked exhausted, as Snowpaw had predicted, but her eyes were bright with excitement. Bluepaw purred to herself; it looked as though her little sister's first tour of ThunderClan territory had gone well.

"How was your first day?" she asked when Lilypaw had reached them.

"It was great!" Lilypaw replied enthusiastically, her eyes shining. "Thrushpelt is so cool. I got to see _everything_. The Great Sycamore, Snakerocks, Sunningrocks, Fourtrees, everything. And he told me that I get to learn how to fight tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful," Bluepaw meowed, brushing her nose against Lilypaw's ear. "Snowpaw and I built you a nest. You'll be sleeping next to me and Rosepaw."

"Really? Thanks, Bluepaw!" Lilypaw purred. "And you too, Snowpaw."

Bluepaw flicked her younger sister affectionately over her ears, but Snowpaw just nodded sadly and pushed her way back inside the den. Lilypaw looked after her, a concerned expression on her face.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, sounding worried.

"No, no, nothing like that," Bluepaw quickly reassured her. She let out a sigh. "Thistlepaw and Snowpaw had a fight earlier."

Lilypaw looked stunned. "Why? What happened?"

At that moment, Thistlepaw happened to walk past them on his way to the den. Bluepaw guessed that he must have heard Lilypaw's question, for he spun around and glared at her with more anger and resentment than she had ever seen from him before. She didn't think he had ever looked at _her _with that much bitterness before, and that was saying something.

"If you _must _know, your sister saw fit to choose you over me," he snarled. "So this is all _your _fault, actually."

"Excuse me?" Lilypaw meowed, her eyes narrowing in anger. "_My _fault? How is the fact that you're an entitled, spoiled, arrogant, stuck up, conceited piece of fox dung whose only purpose in life is making everyone who has the misfortune of speaking to you long for death in any way _my _fault?"

Thistlepaw's glare intensified. "You'd better watch yourself, or else–"

"Or else what?" the newly named apprentice challenged. "What are you going to do, Thistlepaw, make me listen to you talk?"

Bluepaw stifled a snicker as the spiky-furred tom let out a growl, his claws sliding out. Rather than being intimidated, Lilypaw just gave him a bored look, which only served to aggravate him even further.

"If you don't shut up, I'll make sure that you regret it," he spat.

"That's really cute of you," Lilypaw replied, making a show of yawning in Thistlepaw's face. "The thing is though, you'd be wasting your time. Nothing you could ever do to me will ever cause me as much suffering as the knowledge that I will have to see your hideous excuse for a face every day for the rest of our lives."

Thistlepaw's jaw dropped open in shock and for a moment, Bluepaw was convinced that he was about to burst into flames from anger. Before he could collect himself enough to speak, Lilypaw took advantage of his momentary lapse of motor control and brain function to march past him into the apprentices' den, looking perfectly cheerful now. The spiky-furred tom snapped back to reality, shooting Bluepaw a dirty look.

"What are _you _staring at?" he growled. "Just go to your nest and mind your own business."

Bluepaw happily complied and curled up in her nest next to her little sister, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. The next few days and moons were going to be entertaining ones indeed.

* * *

**Little Lily is an apprentice now! For anyone who wants to know why her eyes are amber, they changed from blue when she was a moon old. **

**Thistlepaw needs to get off that jealousy train. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	5. The Longest Day

Lilypaw bounded after Thrushpelt as the sandy-gray warrior led the way back to the ThunderClan camp after a long morning of training. They had been practicing battle moves since dawn and her entire body ached. Despite her exhaustion, however, Lilypaw couldn't keep a small spring out of her step. After nearly a quarter moon, she had finally mastered the jump and pin. It was one of the more complex moves taught to ThunderClan apprentices, and Thrushpelt had initially been hesitant about teaching it to her since she was only three moons into her training. But Lilypaw had begged him to at least let her try, so he had finally relented. Due to the move's difficulty, it had been a slow process, but after days of practicing, she could perform it with her eyes closed now.

"Should we stop and collect some moss for the elders on our way back?" Lilypaw asked.

Thrushpelt shook his head. "Thistlepaw, Rosepaw, and Sweetpaw are taking care of that today," he meowed. "When we get back home, you can take a piece of fresh-kill from the pile and join your denmates for a meal. You've earned it."

"Thanks, Thrushpelt. I'll bring something to Leopardfoot too while I'm at it," Lilypaw replied happily. The black molly was pregnant with Pinestar's kits, and the rest of the Clan expected that they would arrive within the next half a moon. Lilypaw was pleased since it meant she wouldn't be the youngest cat in ThunderClan anymore.

When they arrived back home, however, it became clear that something was wrong. Mews of distress could be heard coming from inside the camp and the air was thick with the stench of fear and worry. Her fur bristling with alarm, Lilypaw rushed through the gorse tunnel and into the clearing, trying to figure out what was going on.

"What's happening?" she asked, racing over to Bluefur, who was pacing back and forth anxiously. "Why does everyone look so upset?"

"It's Leopardfoot," her sister answered, glancing over to the nursery. Lilypaw looked over as well and saw Featherwhisker disappearing through the entrance. "Her kits are coming and it's not going well. She's been in labor since just after dawn, but..."

Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. Lilypaw just stared at the blue-gray warrior in shock and horror. Leopardfoot's kits couldn't be coming _now_. It was still too early for them to be born.

"Are the kits going to be okay?" she asked worriedly. "I mean since they're being born so early?"

"We don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and see," Bluefur meowed, her gaze flickering over to the nursery again.

Lilypaw felt a stab of frustration. This was the first litter born in ThunderClan in several moons, and now it looked as though they might not survive two days. For that matter, they would be fortunate to survive being _born_. A wail of pain arose from the nursery and she suppressed a shudder. Sensing her distress, Bluefur placed her tail on her younger sister's shoulder.

"Come on, you should have something to eat. You've just been out training all morning and you need to keep your strength up," she meowed.

"Yeah, alright," the white-furred apprentice agreed, allowing Bluefur to lead her to the fresh-kill pile.

As she padded after her sister, Lilypaw spotted Snowfur and Thistlepaw sharing tongues on the other side of the camp. Snowfur waved her tail in greeting when she saw her but Thistlepaw looked away pointedly. Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she nodded back to her white-furred sister before continuing on her way. Her closeness with Snowfur had been a constant source of jealousy for Thistlepaw, sparking several petty arguments between him and Snowfur whenever he felt that she was giving Lilypaw too much attention. Of course, he always ended up groveling to her later, but Lilypaw couldn't see why Snowfur hadn't told him to grow up and stop throwing tantrums already. The fondness she held for the spiky-furred tom made her sick.

Lilypaw selected a squirrel from the prey pile and carried it over to the mossy stump where the apprentices ate while Bluefur headed over to the nursery. She sat down next to Lionpaw and Goldenpaw, who purred in greeting. Lionpaw pushed his mouse over to her and she looked up at him in confusion.

"We can share if you want," the golden-furred tom meowed by way of explanation.

"Sure, why not?" Lilypaw agreed. "You can have some of my fresh-kill too. The squirrel is pretty big and I'm not too hungry."

Lionpaw purred gratefully and took a bite out of the bushy-tailed rodent. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilypaw thought she saw Goldenpaw's whiskers twitching with amusement. She was about to ask her friend what she was laughing at when another cry of pain was heard from the nursery and the humor vanished from her face.

"I hope Leopardfoot will be alright," Goldenpaw murmured.

"Me too," Lionpaw agreed.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Featherwhisker will take good care of her," Lilypaw meowed with more optimism than she felt. "Mind you, I'm more worried about her kits. It's still so early. It doesn't seem like they have much of a chance."

"I know," Goldenpaw meowed, looking down at her paws sadly. Shaking her head, she looked up again and continued, "Let's talk about something else for now. How did your training session with Thrushpelt go?"

"It was great," Lilypaw purred, feeling a spark of happiness. "I finally got the jump and pin right today."

"That's awesome," Lionpaw exclaimed. He and Goldenpaw knew how hard she had been working to master the move. "So what move will you be learning next, then?"

"I'm not sure," she answered, frowning thoughtfully. "I guess I'll just go with whatever Thrushpelt has planned."

After she had finished her share of the meal, Lilypaw headed into the apprentices' den to take a short nap. It had been a long day so far and she knew the hard part was only just beginning. The sooner she could curl up in her nest and get some rest, the better.

* * *

When Lilypaw woke up again, it was to the sound of someone fidgeting and moaning quietly in pain. Alarmed, she sat up and looked around the den before she realized it was Sweetpaw. The tortoiseshell apprentice was curled up tightly, her eyes shut tightly and her face twisted in agony. Concerned, Lilypaw padded over to Sweetpaw's nest and nudged her gently with her nose.

"What happened?" she whispered, careful not to raise her voice in case she woke up any of her other denmates.

Sweetpaw's eyes fluttered open briefly. "Bad mouse," she croaked weakly.

"I'll get Featherwhisker to bring you some herbs," Lilypaw meowed, turning and hurrying out of the den.

As she pushed her way outside, she nearly bumped into Rosepaw, who was staggering towards her nest. One look at the ginger-tailed apprentice was enough to tell Lilypaw that she had fallen ill as well. A pang of worry stabbed at her chest. It looked as though Rosepaw had eaten the same mouse that had made Sweetpaw sick. Lilypaw didn't know much about food-related illnesses–almost nothing to be more accurate–but she had heard stories of cats who had died as a result of eating bad prey.

_Did they not know the mouse was bad? _she wondered. _They can't have, surely, or else they wouldn't have eaten it. But if the mouse smelled and tasted normal, why are they so sick? _

She walked across the camp to the medicine clearing, pushing her way inside the fern tunnel. Inside the medicine den, Featherwhisker was giving Bluefur a bundle of watermint. Lilypaw waved her tail at her sister in greeting, but Bluefur merely nodded. The dull pain in the blue-gray warrior's eyes told Lilypaw all she needed to know: her sister had gotten sick from the same cursed mouse.

"You too?" Lilypaw asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," Bluefur grunted. "Stupid mouse."

Featherwhisker glanced up at her. "Are you feeling ill as well?" he asked gently.

"No, no, I'm fine," Lilypaw answered, shaking her head. "I just came here to get some herbs for Sweetpaw and Rosepaw. They both look pretty bad. Sweetpaw could barely open her eyes when I tried to ask her what was wrong."

"Alright, just give me a moment and I'll go fetch something from the stores," the medicine cat apprentice meowed, turning and disappearing into the back of the den.

After he had left, Bluefur swallowed some of her medicine and meowed, "Leopardfoot's kits arrived last night. She has two daughters and a son."

Lilypaw blinked. In the wake of finding her denmates and sister ill, she had forgotten all about the new arrivals. "Are they alright?"

"Not really," Bluefur murmured sadly. "They were all pretty weak when they were born. The poor tom can't even mew, let alone feed."

"Oh no," Lilypaw sighed. _Poor Leopardfoot. _

"Leopardfoot hasn't chosen names for them yet. She's still weak herself, so she'll probably wait for a few days," her sister continued. She let out a sigh. "I just hope her kits survive long enough for her to name them. Goosefeather said he didn't expect them to survive the night."

"Where _is _Goosefeather anyway?" Lilypaw asked with a frown. "Shouldn't he be out here helping you?"

"He was here earlier. This watermint was from him," Bluefur explained. "I don't know where he went now, though–probably looking for omens again or something. He seems to be under the impression that the mouse was a sign from StarClan."

Lilypaw snorted. "Yeah, it was–a sign that someone needs to get better at checking the fresh-kill to make sure it's okay to eat."

Bluefur chuckled and flicked her tail over Lilypaw's ears. "Don't let Goosefeather hear you saying that."

"I won't," Lilypaw meowed, then added, "let him hear."

Bluefur shook her head as Featherwhisker finally reemerged from the back of the den with a bundle of herbs in his jaws. He placed them down in front of Lilypaw, who picked them up gratefully. Nodding to the two older cats, she turned around and padded back outside.

"Make sure to tell Sweetpaw and Rosepaw to go easy on the herbs. Too much medicine can be just as bad as not giving them any at all," Featherwhisker called after her.

"I will," she called back.

She walked back across the camp to the apprentices' den, passing by Thistlepaw as the gray and white tom headed over to the fresh-kill pile. Lilypaw felt her lip curl in disgust as he selected a thrush from the pile and sat down a few paces away. How could he even think about eating when his sisters were writhing in pain in their nests? Didn't he care about anyone besides himself and Snowfur? He didn't even look upset about the fact that they were sick.

Lilypaw padded into the apprentices' den with the bundle of herbs still in her jaws. Rosepaw lifted her head slightly as she entered, blinking dully at her. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Lilypaw set down some of the leaves next to the older apprentice's nest.

"Here, eat these. Featherwhisker gave these to me to give to you," she whispered. "I'll give the rest to Sweetpaw."

"Thanks," Rosepaw croaked, leaning over and nibbling at one of the leaves.

Lilypaw nodded and took the rest of the bundle over to the other side of the den where Sweetpaw was still curled up in pain. She didn't even have enough strength to open her eyes now. Gently, she placed the herbs at the tortoiseshell molly's head, nudging it towards her with a paw. Sweetpaw sniffed slightly at the medicine but otherwise made no move to eat any of it.

"Come on," she coaxed gently. "You need to eat these or else you won't feel any better."

For a moment, she thought Sweetpaw had gone back to sleep. Then, slowly, she leaned over and began to chew one of the leaves. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Lilypaw licked her friend's ears gently before going back outside and heading over to the fresh-kill pile. To her displeasure, Thistlepaw was still there, his thrush lying half-eaten at his paws. Without even looking at him, she picked up a rabbit and carried it back over to the mossy stump.

"Lilypaw!" Thistlepaw called out to her.

"What do you want?" Lilypaw asked exasperatedly, looking back over her shoulder.

Thistlepaw just looked at her. "Are Rosepaw and Sweetpaw okay?"

"No," she snapped, worry for her friends and anger at Thistlepaw's earlier lack of concern making her even more short-tempered than usual. "They're moaning and writhing in pain because they ate a bad mouse yesterday."

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Thistlepaw protested.

"How could you _not _know? We all share the same den," Lilypaw meowed in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't notice how much pain they were in? Sweetpaw can barely move, for StarClan's sake!"

"I was a little busy," the older apprentice meowed defensively.

"Oh, don't give me that heap of fox dung, that's only an excuse and a pathetic one at that," she snapped back. "You're always _too busy_ to think of anyone other than yourself and Snowfur. I've never once heard you ask _one single thing _about anyone else, oh no, it's all about what an amazing warrior you're going to be and how the other Clans are going to tremble in fear when they see you. Well, news flash Thistlepaw, not every single thing in the world is about you. I know for a fact that if _you _were bedridden with food poisoning, Rosepaw and Sweetpaw would both be making sure you were well taken care of, yet you're out here stuffing your face as if nothing happened. Do they mean _anything _to you?"

"Of course!" Thistlepaw snapped. "Just because I don't show concern the same way you do doesn't mean I don't care."

"You're not showing concern at all! You didn't even notice they were sick, remember?" Lilypaw shot back.

"What does it matter to you?" Thistlepaw growled. "They're _my _sisters."

"Sweetpaw and Rosepaw are my friends. And if it bothers you so much, maybe you should consider not acting as if your Clanmates and kin are only worth your time if they grovel at your paws," Lilypaw replied coldly, spinning on her heel and stalking away. "Oh, and while you're at it, stop throwing temper tantrums every time Snowfur talks to me. You don't have any right to tell her who she can and cannot talk to and you're not the only cat in the world she cares about."

Without another word, she stalked over to the mossy stump. Leopardfoot had just endured long and painful labor, her kits were whiskers from death, Sweetpaw, Bluefur, and Rosepaw were ill, and Goosefeather was apparently searching for death omens. As far as Lilypaw was concerned, Thistlepaw could deal with his own problems.

* * *

**All is not well in ThunderClan right now...but Lilypaw is being sassy behind her medicine cat's back, so the entertainment hasn't died down at all. **


	6. An Unfortunate Hunting Patrol

The three newborn kits were named, as Lilypaw learned from Bluefur about two days later, Mistkit, Nightkit, and Tigerkit. They were still weak and no one expected them to survive for long, but Leopardfoot had recovered enough strength to give them names. Tigerkit, the only tom and the runt of the litter, was still unable to feed. Lilypaw suspected that Leopardfoot had chosen an unusually fierce-sounding name in the hopes that he would be a fighter. Personally, she wasn't sure with what a kit's name had to do with whether he was a strong fighter or not–she could have named him Sparklekit and it wouldn't have changed anything about his health–but she figured that she shouldn't question a queen.

_I just hope she's right, _Lilypaw thought, glancing over toward the nursery. _He'll need to be a fighter if he's going to make it to his first moon. They _all _will. _

To make matters worse, Rosepaw and Sweetpaw were still sick. Rosepaw was looking better, but her sister's condition hadn't changed. If anything, Lilypaw thought the tortoiseshell molly looked _worse _than she had two days ago. The herbs had done nothing to soothe her, and she spent most of her time curled up in her nest, only strong enough to give the occasional moan of pain. Lilypaw was just grateful for the fact that Bluefur had made a full recovery. At least she wouldn't have to worry about her sister anymore–or at least not until the next battle or bout of illness.

"Lilypaw!" Sunfall called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" she called back, turning her head to look at her father.

"I want you to go on a hunting patrol. Bluefur's taking one out; you can join hers," the bright ginger tom meowed.

Lilypaw nodded and bounded over to where her sister and the rest of the patrol were waiting. Her pelt prickled with displeasure when she noticed that Thistlepaw was among them. She bit back a sigh of annoyance; dealing with the arrogant apprentice definitely wasn't how she had envisioned spending her day. Lilypaw took comfort in the fact that Bluefur would at least be there as well.

"Took you long enough," Thistlepaw sneered at her.

"Who asked you?" Lilypaw shot back.

"Enough, both of you," Smallear ordered. "Thistlepaw, it's not Lilypaw's fault that she was late. Sunfall only just told her about the patrol, you know."

Thistlepaw flicked his tail sullenly, but even he didn't quite dare argue with a senior warrior. Without so much as a backward glance at her denmate, Lilypaw marched out of the camp after Bluefur. The more distance she could put between herself and Thistlepaw, the better it would be for everyone.

"Bad luck, huh, getting stuck with him on our patrol," Bluefur murmured as if she had heard Lilypaw's thoughts.

"You can say that again," Lilypaw muttered in agreement.

"Bad luck, huh, getting stuck with him on our patrol."

"Oh, very funny, Bluefur."

As they continued on their way, Lilypaw sniffed the air for any sign of prey. It was still fairly early out, so most of the forest creatures were still asleep. The only animals that were awake were a few blackbirds, but she wasn't about to chase one up a tree. The thought of trying to stalk a bird on a thin branch high above the safety of the forest floor with the wind blowing in her fur sent an uneasy feeling down Lilypaw's spine.

Suddenly, a flash of movement caught her attention. Turning her head, she saw a mouse burrowing through some leaves next to a nearby tree. Dropping into a crouch, Lilypaw began padding forward, keeping her pawsteps light and silent so as not to disturb her prey. She tensed for a moment when the mouse paused in its burrowing, then breathed a sigh of relief as it went back to its work.

"Look out!" Thistlepaw yowled suddenly.

_Fox dung! _

The spiky-furred apprentice's loud call had frightened the mouse away. In a final desperate effort to catch it, Lilypaw lunged forward, but her movement was a split second too late and she watched in frustration as the mouse disappeared from view. Bristling with fury, she whirled on Thistlepaw, who merely looked back with a smug expression on his face.

"You did that on purpose!" she meowed accusingly. "I would have caught that mouse and now because of you, the Clan just lost valuable fresh-kill. Do you ever think of anyone besides yourself?"

"It was a mistake," the gray and white apprentice retorted coolly.

Lilypaw glared furiously at him. "The only _mistake _that's happened here is your birth," she spat. "Don't you ever interfere with my hunt again. Since you seem so convinced that you're the greatest warrior ThunderClan has ever seen, maybe you should start backing it up for a change."

Thistlepaw drew his lips back in a snarl, but Adderfang cut him off and meowed sharply, "Both of you, stop this right now. We're here to hunt for the Clan, not to start petty arguments amongst ourselves."

"That's what I was doing until _someone_ decided to mess everything up," Lilypaw growled, whirling around and storming off to catch up with Bluefur.

"Thistlepaw causing problems again?" the blue-furred warrior asked sympathetically.

"You know it," Lilypaw snorted, her fur bristling angrily. "He's just as bad as a RiverClan cat! Always strutting around with his nose in the air, acting like he's so much better than everyone, talking constantly about what an amazing warrior he's going to be. I'm surprised he can even move with that massive head on his shoulders. And now he's trying to mess everything up for me! I don't know what Snowfur sees in someone like him. He makes me _sick_!"

"I know," Bluefur agreed. "He's so full of himself."

By the time they reached Snakerocks, her anger towards her denmate still hadn't died down. It was bad enough that Thistlepaw was easily the most arrogant cat in the forest, but now he was actively trying to sabotage her. She shot a nasty look at him, wishing that she could make his pelt burst into flames if she glared hard enough.

Upon their arrival, it was decided that the patrol would split up to hunt around the area while Thistlepaw sat guard. Lilypaw felt a flash of satisfaction at the bitter disappointment on the spiky-furred apprentice's face at not being allowed to hunt. He deserved it after ruining her chance at catching the mouse earlier. The more she saw of Thistlepaw, the less she understood why Snowfur liked him so much.

Another mouse scurried across her path. Quickly, Lilypaw dropped into a hunting crouch again and began padding after it. Just before she was about to leap forward to snag it, Thistlepaw let out a yowl that sent it fleeing into a nearby crevice.

"Watch it! There's a giant beetle on your back!" he shouted.

Lilypaw was fuming. "What did I _just _tell you?" she demanded.

"Oops, sorry," Thistlepaw meowed, looking at her innocently. "I guess I must have imagined things."

"One more word out of you," Lilypaw growled, glaring at the older cat. "And we'll be feeding _you _to the Clan for dinner tonight. Don't test me, Thistlepaw."

Without waiting to see if the message had gotten through, she spun around again and headed several fox-lengths away. Perhaps if she were further away from the arrogant tom, she would finally be able to catch something. Her fur bristled with anger as she thought of the two mice the Clan had lost because of Thistlepaw. He was just lucky that it wasn't leaf-bare or else those two mice could have meant the difference between life and death for someone.

_He should have been born a rogue. It's not like he behaves any differently from one, _Lilypaw thought as she sniffed the air.

A familiar scent washed over her as she was scanning the area for any sign of prey. Her mouth began watering as she recognized the scent of a vole. Quickly, Lilypaw glanced around, trying to pinpoint the vole's location, finally spotting it underneath an overhanging rock formation. Determined not to let Thistlepaw ruin her catch this time, she dropped into the hunting crouch and began moving toward the vole. Once she was about a tail-length away, she leaped forward, killing it with one sharp bite.

_Finally, _she thought to herself with a grimace. She knew she should have been proud, but after losing two pieces of prey because of Thistlepaw, it was impossible. _If he hadn't come, I would have caught at least three pieces of fresh-kill by now. _

"Look out!"

_And there he goes again, _Lilypaw thought, shaking her head. Out loud, she called back, "Nice try, Thistlepaw. Nobody is going to fall for that again."

She turned around and buried her vole before going back to her hunt. As she did so, however, a strange scent washed over her. For a moment, Lilypaw paused in confusion, wondering who the scent belonged to. It definitely wasn't a cat, that much she could tell, but she couldn't quite figure out what sort of animal it was. The smell was vaguely familiar; perhaps she had encountered it while out training with Thrushpelt.

"Lilypaw, run!" It wasn't Thistlepaw who called out this time, but Bluefur. Her sister's voice was thick with fear and Lilypaw paused for a moment, glancing back and forth in concern. Perhaps Thistlepaw's warning had been real this time.

Suddenly, a large shape came hurtling seemingly out of nowhere, paws thundering against the rocky surface. The stench threatened to overwhelm her, and Lilypaw's fur stood on end as she saw who it belonged to at last. A massive dog, even bigger than Thistlepaw, was racing towards her. It must have escaped from its Twoleg somehow, and now it was after her Clanmates and their fresh-kill.

_What do I do? _Lilypaw wondered, her heart pounding against her chest. She knew how to fight, of course, but even experienced warriors were reluctant to fight a dog and she was only an apprentice. _How can I possibly beat it? _

Lilypaw spared a moment to glance around, searching for any possible escape route. But it was no use. The dog was too fast and drawing closer to her with each passing heartbeat. If she tried to run, it would catch up to her in no time. She supposed that she could try climbing a tree, but the nearest one was still too far for her to reach in time and Lilypaw didn't like the idea of being so high above the ground. If she fell out somehow, she would hit the rocks and she could only imagine what sort of injuries would result from an accident such as that.

_I have no choice. I have to try to fight it somehow. _

Bracing herself, Lilypaw unsheathed her claws as the massive creature crashed into her. White-hot pain seared her body as the dog clamped its jaws on her shoulder, blood spurting out from the wound. Gritting her teeth, Lilypaw brought her forepaw crashing down over its head in a desperate attempt to free herself. Due to her smaller size, however, the dog barely seemed to feel anything. She slashed her claws across its face, but it merely snarled at her angrily before biting down on her scruff.

_Oh, StarClan, help me! _

Lilypaw resisted the urge to shriek in terror as the dog lifted her off the ground and began shaking her violently. Her body was jerked back and forth wildly and she felt as though she might be sick. Twisting around, she tried to slash her claws over the dog's eyes, but she only succeeded at clawing the air instead.

Then suddenly, she was free again. Panting and coughing heavily, Lilypaw spun around to see that Bluefur and Thistlepaw had attacked the dog and were slashing their claws at it mercilessly. As she watched, her sister raked her claws over the dog's eyes while Thistlepaw performed a belly rake that sent blood splattering over the rocks. Lilypaw winced as the dog let out a high-pitched wail of pain. She could almost feel sorry for it.

_Well, almost but not quite. _

At last, the dog managed to free itself and took off into the woods, heading in the direction of Twolegplace. Bluefur stood up and raced over to Lilypaw, her blue gaze shining with worry. Thistlepaw got up as well, but unlike Bluefur, he made no move to check on his denmate.

"Are you okay?" Bluefur asked, frantically checking her over. "Are you hurt? Can you walk?"

"I think I'm okay," Lilypaw grunted. "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

"Come on, we should head back to the camp now. I think we've had enough for today," Adderfang meowed firmly as the rest of the patrol joined them.

Bluefur nodded. "Good idea," she agreed. "Everyone, grab your fresh-kill. We're going home now."

Lilypaw walked alongside her sister as they made their way back to the ThunderClan camp. Now that the adrenaline from her fight with the dog had faded, the pain from her injuries was returning full force. Her vision was fading in and out and the sound of her Clanmate's voices seemed to come from several thousand tree-lengths away. She stumbled slightly, exhaustion threatening to knock her off balance.

Through a haze of weariness and agony, Lilypaw thought she could hear someone calling out to her. She blinked and looked around, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. Were her Clanmates trying to talk to her or was there a malevolent spirit trying to contact her from beyond the grave?

Then her head spun, her vision went black, and Lilypaw knew no more.

* * *

**Poor Lilypaw. She just wanted to help. Don't worry though, I'm not going to kill her. **

**But hey, at least Bluefur saved her! Well, I guess Thistlepaw technically did too, but he didn't do it for her. He just wanted to be able to brag to his Clanmates that he fought a dog. **

**Responses to a few reviews: **

**CaptainShort19: I'm glad you're enjoying this! Yes, Lilypaw is amazing. As for your question, no, Firepaw/heart/star will not make an appearance in this book. **

**Amberflame805: The thing about Thistlepaw/claw in this universe is that he's emotionally abusive and manipulative (I guess those two go hand in hand, though). He gets jealous easily and he can't accept the fact that Lilypaw is important to Snowfur as well, especially because he hates her. So he picks fights with her over the attention she shows her sister, which is obviously his fault, but he always manipulates her to into believing that _she's _the one in the wrong so she always ends up apologizing. Snowfur isn't actually in love with him, but she has a pretty big crush on him so she thinks nothing less than the best of Thistleclaw, which only makes it easier for him to mess with her head. **

**Kuroimori: I take great pleasure in roasting Thistlepaw. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	7. Vengeful Lies

"Lilypaw!" Bluefur screeched, watching in horror as her little sister collapsed gracelessly onto the forest floor.

Dropping her fresh-kill, she raced over to Lilypaw's side and nudged her frantically with her nose. To her relief, she saw her sister's flank rising and falling. But Bluefur knew they didn't have much time if they wanted to get back to the camp in time to help her. Blood was pouring from her wounds and more and more time seemed to pass between each rattling breath.

"Sorry everyone, I have to go. I need to get Lilypaw back home," Bluefur meowed, lifting her sister onto her back.

The other warriors nodded in understanding, but Thistlepaw meowed boldly, "What about your prey? We can't just waste it."

Bluefur glared at him. "Carry it back yourself if you're so concerned," she snapped. She hadn't forgotten that it was technically his fault that Lilypaw was injured.

Without waiting to hear Thistlepaw's response, she spun around and sprinted off in the direction of the ThunderClan camp. Her paws pounded heavily against the ground as she ran and she was certain that she had frightened off every bit of prey in the forest, but she didn't care. Her only concern was making sure she arrived home in time to get Lilypaw into the medicine den.

She burst in through the gorse tunnel, where she was spotted by Snowfur and Moonflower, who were talking near the warriors' den. The two mollies let out a gasp when they saw Lilypaw, but Bluefur didn't respond as she raced past them and into the medicine clearing on the other side of the camp.

"Featherwhisker, help me!" she called out desperately.

Featherwhisker poked his head out from around a corner in the den, his eyes widening in shock when he saw the state Lilypaw was in. Shaking himself off, he padded forward and took her from Bluefur, gently placing her on the floor before turning and disappearing into the stores again. Her head still spinning, Bluefur sat down beside her little sister and waited for him to return. While she was waiting, Snowfur and Moonflower burst into the den and rushed over to her.

"What happened?" Moonflower demanded, her eyes wide as she stared at her youngest daughter. "How did this happen? What did this to her?"

"It was a dog," Bluefur explained, her voice sounding far away even to her own ears. "We were hunting at Snakerocks when it attacked. It must have smelled our prey and gotten loose from its Twolegs somehow."

"And Lilypaw tried to fight it?" Snowfur guessed, looking at the younger molly with a mixture of awe, disbelief, and horror on her face.

Bluefur shook her head. "It was all Thistlepaw's fault," she growled, lashing her tail angrily. "He kept trying to trick Lilypaw by calling out false alarms whenever she was about to catch something. So when he warned her about the dog, she didn't believe him and kept hunting. By the time she realized that his warning was real, it was too late. The dog was too close and too fast for her to escape, so she had to try to fight it. She was very brave. I ran over to help her as fast as I could, but by the time I got there, the dog had already hurt her pretty badly."

"Did Thistlepaw at least try to help?" Snowfur asked. She looked horrified.

"Sort of," Bluefur admitted. "He did come to help me fight off the dog, but it was only after Adderfang prompted him into doing so. Had he not said anything, I doubt Thistlepaw would have done anything."

Snowfur nodded, her eyes darkening as she gazed down at her paws. Bluefur wondered what was going on through her sister's mind but decided against asking. The last thing she felt like doing at the moment was having a discussion about Snowfur's friendship (although it was clear that she wanted more) with Thistlepaw. As awful as Bluefur knew it was, part of her almost wished that the spiky-furred tom had been the one to get injured. At least he would have deserved it, in a way at least.

Featherwhisker reemerged from the back of the den, his jaws full of cobwebs and marigold. Stepping aside, Bluefur watched as he began applying them to Lilypaw's wounds. Soon, her sister's pelt was covered in so many cobwebs and herbs that it was almost impossible to see her white fur underneath. Feeling her throat tighten, Bluefur looked away as her vision blurred.

"Come on, dear," Moonflower murmured, brushing her tail-tip over Bluefur's shoulder. "Let's leave her to rest. Featherwhisker will take good care of her."

"Where's Goosefeather?" Snowfur demanded as they followed their mother out of the den. "He's our official medicine cat. Shouldn't he be taking care of Lilypaw too?"

Privately, Bluefur thought that Goosefeather's care was the _last _thing Lilypaw needed. He knew his herbs, she would give him that, but lately, he spent almost all of his time muttering to himself about omens and death. Lilypaw needed rest and time to recover; she didn't need a half-mad medicine cat frightening her with his talk about StarClan and their seemingly never-ending evil omens.

Knowing this, she wondered whether she was being foolish in believing Goosefeather's prophecy about her supposedly being fire. Snowfur certainly seemed to think so; in fact, she had dismissed the idea as ludicrous as soon as Bluefur told her about it. Bluefur wasn't too sure about it herself. On one hand, Goosefeather had definitely been wrong before–after all, it was one of his omens that nearly got Moonflower killed. But on the other hand, whenever the topic of the prophecy came up, there was always _something _in his eyes, a sense of clarity that she hardly ever saw otherwise, that made her wonder if perhaps there was something to his ramblings after all.

Bluefur had to admit that there was a tiny part of her that wanted the prophecy to be true. Perhaps she was being greedy, but there was something about knowing that she could have one of the greatest destinies the Clans had ever seen that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. Besides, how many cats could say that they had been the subject of a real prophecy?

"Thistlepaw!" Snowfur's angry meow jerked Bluefur out of her thoughts. Stunned, she watched as her littermate stalked over to the gray and white apprentice, her fur bristling. "How dare you trick Lilypaw? She got hurt because of you! I know you don't like her, but that's no excuse for what you did. I certainly hope you're pleased with yourself!"

"Snowfur, calm down," Robinwing meowed, placing her tail on the younger warrior's back. "We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves right now. Let's concentrate on making sure Lilypaw gets better."

"I don't _care _whether he meant it or not!" Snowfur snapped, and Bluefur was pleased to see Thistlepaw flinch. "He's still the reason it happened, isn't he? Whether or not he wanted her to get hurt doesn't change anything."

"I'm sorry!" Thistlepaw exclaimed, and Bluefur snorted. Of course, he would apologize to Snowfur but not Lilypaw. "I didn't mean for anything to happen to her, honest."

"Why should we believe that?" Bluefur interrupted, glaring at him. "You haven't exactly made it a secret that you hate her. I'll bet the whole reason you kept distracting her in the first place while we were hunting at such a dangerous location was that you were hoping an adder would catch her."

"It was supposed to be a harmless prank," Thistlepaw explained, but his words were directed at Snowfur, not her. "I'll admit I tried to trick her, but I didn't expect anything bad to happen because of it. Bluefur's right, I don't like Lilypaw, but I know how much you care about her, Snowfur. I wouldn't do anything to hurt someone you cared about. You have to believe me, please."

_Empty words! _Bluefur thought bitterly. The image of the proud tilt in Thistlepaw's head as he watched the dog flee was still burned into her mind.

To her credit, Snowfur didn't fall for it. "I don't want to discuss this with you right now, Thistlepaw," she meowed. "You got my little sister hurt today. I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"And you can apologize to my daughter when she wakes up–_sincerely_, Thistlepaw_,"_ Moonflower growled, glaring at the spiky-furred apprentice, who shrank back fearfully.

"In the meantime, you'll be spending the next moon caring for the elders," Pinestar meowed coldly, stalking over to the group. Adderfang was with him, and Bluefur guessed that he had told the Clan leader what had happened. "You will continue your training as usual, but you will not be permitted to eat or share tongues with your denmates until you have finished seeing to the elders every day. In addition, with the exception of training, you will only be permitted to leave the camp to hunt or gather bedding. When you leave, a warrior will accompany you at all times to make sure you aren't fooling around."

Thistlepaw growled angrily but didn't protest. Not wanting to be near him any longer, Bluefur turned and stalked toward the warriors' den. Behind her, she could hear Snowfur padding after her as she pushed her way inside. Bluefur sat down in her nest but didn't close her eyes, too worked up to even think about sleeping. If Lilypaw didn't make it, she didn't know what she would do. She would never forgive Thistlepaw if she lost her–and even if Lilypaw did survive, it was questionable as to whether she would do so anyway.

"Hey," Snowfur murmured, touching her tail to Bluefur's flank. "It's going to be okay. Featherwhisker will make sure Lilypaw is alright."

Instead of responding, Bluefur just flicked her tail and rested her head on her paws. She wasn't even angry at Thistlepaw anymore; she was angry at Twolegs, dogs, and their warrior ancestors who had allowed Lilypaw to get hurt because of Thistlepaw's actions. Moonflower had told her long ago that StarClan watched over and cared for all the Clans, but that seemed unlikely when they kept punishing the wrong cats.

* * *

**Lilypaw is hurt (she'll make it through, don't worry), and Bluefur and Snowfur are LIVID. As is Moonflower, of course, and Sunfall will be too when he hears what happened. Thistlepaw is just lucky he wasn't there. **

**By the way, for anyone who wants to vote on the names for Fireheart and Tigerclaw's kits in my Fire Rising story, I put a link to a forum with the polls in my bio. **

**Responses to a few reviews: **

**Kuroimori: Oh, after this, Thistlepaw will be lucky if he doesn't get his fur clawed off every time he so much as _looks _at Lilypaw. As for Snowfur, her relationship with Thistlepaw/claw is...complicated. She does like him and she wants to believe that he wouldn't intentionally hurt Lilypaw, but at the same time, she can't ignore the fact that he hates her enough to do so. The fact that NOBODY defended Thistlepaw when Bluefur was accusing him is too significant to ignore, especially since her accusations were extremely serious. As for Thistleclaw manipulating her, well, she doesn't realize she's being manipulated. That's the thing about manipulation; the victim almost never realizes it's happening until after the fact. **

**draconic skysong: Yep. That's why in this AU, he didn't get his warrior name for attacking the dog. You don't deserve to be a warrior if your actions cause harm to others, whether directly or indirectly. **

**Ivystormrandomness: Don't worry! Little Lily is going to be just fine. **

**Swiftheart1267: I can safely say that Lilypaw and Thistlepaw are NOT going to become mates. Thistlepaw is a manipulative asshole in this story and Lilypaw is too good for him. Besides, even if he was a decent cat, Snowfur has a crush on him and Lilypaw isn't going to betray her sister. **

**PhoenixRune: The Thistlepaw roasts will never stop. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	8. Payback Time

Lilypaw let out a groan as she forced her eyes open, blinking around slowly as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Her head was pounding and her body felt as though it had been lit on fire, crushed by a Twoleg monster, and trampled by a pack of badgers all at once. Biting back a cry of pain, she sat up in her nest as the medicine den finally came into focus.

"Goosefeather? Featherwhisker?" she called out. "Anyone? Are you there?"

There was a small rustling noise as Featherwhisker emerged from the back of the den, a bundle of herbs in his jaws. It looked as though he had just finished sorting out his stocks. When he saw Lilypaw sitting up in her nest, his eyes widened and he bounded over to her.

"Lilypaw! Thank StarClan," the pale gray medicine cat apprentice meowed, setting the herbs down on the ground. "How are your wounds feeling?"

_Wounds...that's right, _Lilypaw thought, finally remembering what had happened. Out loud, she replied, "I've felt better, honestly. But they don't hurt nearly as much as before."

Featherwhisker nodded sympathetically. "You're lucky that Bluefur arrived when she did. If she had been any later, it's likely you wouldn't have survived."

Lilypaw shuddered slightly at the revelation that she had been only heartbeats from being slaughtered. Timing really _was _everything. She imagined what her death would have done to her family and a pang of guilt shot through her. The white-furred molly brushed it off, however, reminding herself that the blame belonged to Thistlepaw alone. If he hadn't tried to trick her, she would have heeded his warning the first time.

"How long have I been out?" she asked curiously.

"Almost three days," Featherwhisker informed her grimly. "Your parents, Bluefur, and Snowfur have all come to visit you at least five times. They're all worried sick about you."

_Three days? That can't be right!_ Lilypaw thought in horror. _Stupid piece of fox dung, Thistlepaw. This is all his fault. Why can't he ever just mind his own business? _

Of course, she was well aware of the fact that the spiky-furred apprentice wasn't responsible for the dog being there in the first place, but that didn't change anything in her eyes. The fact remained that it was his constant pranks that had caused her to ignore his warning the one time it was actually real. Briefly, Lilypaw wondered if Thistlepaw had been giving her so many false alarms so that she would get hurt, but she quickly tried to brush off the idea. Even though they didn't like each other, surely he wouldn't try to get her killed.

That didn't mean she was going to let him get away with what he had done, though.

Meowing a quick word of thanks to Featherwhisker, Lilypaw jumped to her paws and raced out of the medicine den. Scanning the camp, she spotted Thistlepaw about to take a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile. The gray and white tom's back was turned toward her, so he hadn't realized she was there.

_Perfect, _she thought. Running full speed toward her denmate, she screeched, "HEY, YOU!"

Thistlepaw spun around, nearly dropping his squirrel. "Lilypaw! I, uh–"

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, MESSING UP MY HUNT AND THEN GETTING ME ATTACKED BY A DOG? I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART AND FEED YOUR REMAINS TO THE SQUIRRELS AND THE ADDERS AT SNAKEROCKS!" Lilypaw shrieked at him, not even caring about all the stares she was attracting as she proceeded to unleash a barrage of front paw blows on Thistlepaw's head. She glanced over at the fresh-kill pile, only to realize it was empty. "AND YOU TOOK THE LAST PIECE OF FRESH-KILL? THAT'S IT, YOU PIECE OF FOX DUNG, NO MERCY FOR YOU!"

The gray and white apprentice cowered slightly. "I-I'm sorry! But it was really just a coincidence!"

She glared at him. "If you think I'll let you get away with this, you're an idiot!" she spat as she continued to pound her paw against his forehead. "Don't you dare try to get anyone to save you! Not if you call yourself a warrior!"

"Lilypaw! You're awake!"

All of Lilypaw's anger immediately vanished at the sound of her mother's voice. Quickly, she jumped off of Thistlepaw and raced over to where Moonflower was approaching her with Sunfall, Bluefur, and Snowfur. Purring, she pressed her head against the silver tabby's shoulder and felt her mother lick her ears fondly.

"Hi, everyone!" she meowed happily.

"How are you feeling? Do your wounds still hurt?" Moonflower asked, checking over Lilypaw's body. "I hope you haven't been exerting too much energy. Rest is the first step to recovery, you know."

"Of course," Lilypaw agreed, glancing over to where Thistlepaw was still lying on the ground.

Bluefur followed her gaze. "What were you doing to him?" she asked, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Nothing, Bluefur," Lilypaw replied innocently. "Whatever are you trying to suggest? I know how to behave."

Her sister rolled her eyes. "Of course, you do," she meowed, tapping her tail against the younger molly's shoulder. "I expect nothing less of you."

"Anyway, what did I miss while I was in the medicine den?" Lilypaw asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Not much, really," Snowfur told her. "Pinestar punished Thistlepaw for pranking you, but other than that, nothing too interesting has happened."

"How are Sweetpaw and Rosepaw doing?" the white-furred apprentice asked.

"Rosepaw is fully recovered now, but Sweetpaw is still sick," Bluefur informed her, a sad glint in her eyes. "It doesn't look good for her. Poppydawn hardly ever leaves her side anymore."

Lilypaw nodded sadly, glancing over to the apprentices' den. From the sound of it, unless a miracle happened, the tortoiseshell apprentice would be joining their warrior ancestors soon. She just didn't understand. Sweetpaw had eaten the same mouse that had made Bluefur and Rosepaw sick; why was she suffering so much more than them? Not that she _wanted _her sister or her friend to die, of course, but it just didn't make sense.

Sensing her unhappiness, Moonflower touched her nose to her cheek. "Don't worry," she murmured gently. "Featherwhisker will do everything he can in order to make sure she's okay."

"I know," Lilypaw agreed quietly.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Bluefur meowed, draping her tail over her shoulder.

Lilypaw perked up immediately at that. "Sure," she agreed cheerfully.

She turned and marched back over to where Thistlepaw was still lying on the ground, the squirrel sitting a few paces away, forgotten. Without looking at her denmate, Lilypaw snatched up the squirrel and started carrying it back over to where her family was waiting. As soon as she did, Thistlepaw sat up, an indignant look on his face.

"Hey!" he protested. "I was going to eat that!"

"Too bad," Lilypaw replied, not even bothering to look back.

Thistlepaw chased after her. "But I'm hungry! I haven't eaten since this morning!"

"Oh, I do beg your pardon," she hissed, turning to glare at the spiky-furred tom. He recoiled slightly. "But I haven't eaten in three days. After all, I've been unconscious in the medicine den–which you should remember, considering it was mostly your fault."

"Come on, can't I have that squirrel?" Lilypaw fought back a snort of laughter at the whining note in Thistlepaw's voice. "I did take it first, you know. Besides, Adderfang is leading a hunting patrol. They'll be back soon with more prey."

"Not good enough," she replied indifferently.

"But–"

"Nope!"

"Why can't–"

"No can do," Lilypaw cut him off again, before pausing as an idea flashed in her mind. She smirked slightly as she added, "However, because I'm a kind and forgiving cat, I will give you one chance to make up for your sins in exchange for giving you this squirrel."

Thistlepaw eyed her warily. "So if I do something for you, you'll let me have the squirrel?" he clarified.

"Yes," she answered, nodding.

Her denmate hesitated for a few heartbeats before letting out a sigh. "Deal. So what do you want me to do for you?"

"Well," Lilypaw replied slowly, allowing an evil smirk to spread over her face. "The fresh-kill pile _does _look rather empty, don't you think?"

* * *

Later that evening, Lilypaw walked back into the camp with her head and tail held high. She was followed more slowly by Thistlepaw, who kept stumbling over the massive load of prey she had forced him to carry back home for her. As she padded into the camp, Bluefur and Snowfur waved their tails and bounded over to greet her.

"Where have you two been all day?" Snowfur asked.

"I made Thistlepaw take back all of our prey by himself as punishment for pranking me and stealing the last piece of fresh-kill," Lilypaw informed her older sister proudly.

Bluefur snorted with laughter. "I wish I knew how you came up with these ideas."

"Unfortunately, my dear sister, my intellect and creativity are far too great for you to comprehend," Lilypaw meowed in a mock haughty voice. Turning back to Thistlepaw, she called out, "Hey, don't forget you still need to take back the rest of the prey that you couldn't carry too."

In response, Thistlepaw promptly face-planted on the ground and let out a loud, long-suffering groan.

* * *

**Well, I think we can safely say that Lilypaw is back. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	9. A Tragic Loss

When Lilypaw woke up a few mornings later, she could sense that something was wrong. The camp was utterly peaceful, yet a strange sense of foreboding lingered in the pit of her stomach. Confused, she sat up and looked around, trying to figure out what could be troubling her so much. Most of the other apprentices had left already, leaving Lilypaw alone with Sweetpaw and Poppydawn, who had stayed the night to keep her daughter company.

As soon as her gaze fell on the tortoiseshell apprentice, she knew what it was. The den was completely silent, void of the usual noise from Sweetpaw's snoring. Her friend's flank was perfectly still and as Lilypaw padded closer to sniff at her still form, a strange odor hit her scent glands. A chill went down her spine.

_No, no, no, _she chanted silently to herself. Out loud, she meowed, "Sweetpaw? Sweetpaw, can you hear me?"

"Lilypaw? What's going on?"

Lilypaw felt her heart drop onto her paws. Roused by the sound of her voice, Poppydawn was sitting up, blinking and looking at her sleepily. Not having the heart to tell the queen that her daughter was dead, Lilypaw simply gestured wordlessly to Sweetpaw's unmoving body. Poppydawn's gaze traveled down to the tortoiseshell apprentice, her entire body stiffening when she saw her kit.

"Sweetpaw?" she asked tentatively, her voice shaking. "Sweetpaw, wake up. Come on, darling, open your eyes."

The tortoiseshell apprentice remained perfectly still. She didn't even twitch as her mother began prodding and shaking her.

"Sweetpaw! Sweetpaw, wake up!" Poppydawn's voice grew louder, her eyes filled with terror, denial, and grief. "Wake up, please! Your siblings are already out training; don't you want to join them? You're all going to be made into warriors soon! Isn't that what you always wanted? You told me you wanted to become our Clan leader one day, right? So you have to wake up! If you don't, you won't be able to become a warrior, and then you'll never become our leader."

"Poppydawn," Lilypaw whispered. If Poppydawn heard her, however, she gave no indication.

"Don't go, please don't go," she begged, pressing her nose into her daughter's flank. "Play-fight with Rosepaw again! Pull a prank on the senior warriors again! It doesn't matter if your mentor punishes you by sending you to clean the elders' den for a moon. We don't care if you have to wait a little longer to become a warrior in order to get better. Just, please, don't go!"

Silently, Lilypaw turned around and quickly slipped out of the apprentices' den. She wanted desperately to be able to comfort the grieving queen, but she had no idea how to do so. Her own heart weighed heavily in her chest, twisting painfully at the unfairness of it all. Sweetpaw had never done anything wrong to deserve to die this way. She had always been kind to everyone, treating her Clanmates with nothing but friendship and respect. All she had done was eaten a mouse that nobody even realized was bad, and now she would never become a warrior.

In the midst of her sorrow, Lilypaw didn't notice Bluefur until she had walked right into her. Stumbling back, she glanced up into the worried blue eyes of her sister.

"Lilypaw?" Bluefur asked, looking at her in concern. "What happened?"

"Sweetpaw's dead," Lilypaw whispered.

Bluefur stared at her. "She can't be," she meowed, shaking her head fervently. Her gaze shifted over to the apprentices' den, her eyes filled with grief. "Does Poppydawn know?"

Lilypaw nodded. "She spent the night in the den with Sweetpaw."

The blue-gray molly nodded and touched her tail to the white apprentice's flank. "Come on," she murmured. "We have to go sit with her. Poppydawn needs us now."

Together, the two sisters padded back to the apprentices' den, a heavy silence hanging in the air between them. As they walked, Lilypaw wondered how they were going to tell Thistlepaw and Rosepaw the news. The two older apprentices had left for a training session early that morning; they probably didn't even know their sister was gone. Rosepaw was her close friend and although Lilypaw hated Thistlepaw, even he didn't deserve to suffer the loss of his littermate. She couldn't imagine what they were going to tell them when they returned.

When they arrived back at the den, Poppydawn was sitting up beside Sweetpaw's body, her eyes dull with grief. She didn't even acknowledge Bluefur when the blue-gray warrior touched her nose comfortingly to her ear. Lilypaw looked down at Sweetpaw, a dull pit forming in her stomach. The tortoiseshell molly was curled up in such a way that she looked as though she were merely asleep, but the utter stillness of her flank left little room for imagination.

"Were you awake when...?" Bluefur left the rest of her question unspoken.

"I was asleep," Poppydawn choked out. "I woke up when I heard Lilypaw's voice trying to wake Sweetpaw up."

Bluefur looked at her, and Lilypaw explained, "When I woke up this morning, something felt...off. I didn't know what it was at first, but then I realized the den was too quiet. That's when I saw Sweetpaw, and..."

The entrance to the den rustled and Lilypaw turned her head to see Snowfur, Featherwhisker, and Pinestar standing behind them. They must have been alerted by the sound of voices coming from the apprentices' den. When their eyes fell on Sweetpaw's body, their faces morphed into identical expressions of sorrow.

"Is she...?" Snowfur asked quietly. Lilypaw nodded and her older sister bowed her head.

Featherwhisker padded forward and rested his tail on Poppydawn's shoulder. "She hunts with StarClan now," he meowed softly.

Poppydawn just stared at the medicine cat apprentice blankly.

"Do Thistlepaw and Rosepaw know yet?" Snowfur asked.

"Not yet," Bluefur murmured.

"Someone needs to go tell them," Pinestar ordered. "Featherwhisker, will you do it? They're out training with their mentors right now. I believe they went to Fourtrees to hunt."

"No, Pinestar," Poppydawn interrupted, rising to her paws. "I should do it. I'm their mother; they'll want to hear this news from me."

Pinestar nodded and the dark red molly walked past him out of the den, her head and tail hanging low. Lilypaw watched her go, her heart twisting with pity. She couldn't imagine what Poppydawn must be feeling and admired her strength in being able to tell her surviving kits about the loss of their sister.

"I'll go let Windflight know what happened," Featherwhisker meowed quietly.

_Windflight...that's right. _Lilypaw had almost forgotten that the tom was Sweetpaw, Rosepaw, and Thistlepaw's father. He would be devastated at the loss of his kit.

"Let's go," she heard Bluefur murmuring gently in her ear. "You still have to train with Thrushpelt today. Pinestar and Featherwhisker will take care of Sweetpaw's body now."

Lilypaw blinked, then nodded and allowed her sister to lead her out of the den. After waking up to find that they had lost Sweetpaw, training was the last thing on her mind. In a way, it seemed almost unfair to go out and train when Sweetpaw would never be able to do so again. If anyone deserved this fate, it was Thistlepaw. He had always been cruel and arrogant for as long as she had known him, never thinking of anyone except for himself. Why was _he _perfectly healthy when Sweetpaw was dead?

She shook her head. _I can't think about that now, _she reminded herself. _It's like everyone always says. Life goes on, right? If I keep thinking about Sweetpaw, I'll just end up being a burden. For everyone's sake, I can't grieve for her right now._

* * *

Later that day, Lilypaw returned to the camp with Thrushpelt after a long battle training session. Her muscles ached, but she had to admit that she felt better. The training session had helped to take her mind off of Sweetpaw's death, at least for the time being.

When she entered the camp, however, the first sight that greeted her was Poppydawn, Rosepaw, Thistlepaw, and Windflight all crouched over Sweetpaw's body in the middle of the clearing. Rosepaw's nose was buried in her sister's flank, and Poppydawn and Windflight were pressed comfortingly against each other. Even Thistlepaw's gaze was darkened with sadness as he stared down at Sweetpaw. The sight sent a jolt down Lilypaw's spine, having never before seen him express any emotion other than anger or arrogance (she wasn't sure whether arrogance could be considered an emotion, not that it really mattered at the moment). As she watched, Snowfur padded over to sit next to the spiky-furred tom, gazing at him with compassion and sorrow in her eyes.

For once, Lilypaw couldn't find it in herself to be bothered, not even when Thistlepaw rested his head against her older sister's shoulder. What did their relationship matter now? Sweetpaw was gone. She was hunting in StarClan instead of with her Clanmates, where she should have been. As far as Lilypaw was concerned, Snowfur and Thistlepaw could do whatever they wanted.


	10. Roses, Thistles, and Pines

"Rosepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Rosetail. StarClan honors your bravery and your kindness and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Pinestar padded forward and touched his muzzle to Rosetail's head. The gray tabby licked his shoulder respectfully and stepped back, her eyes shining with pride. A few tail-lengths behind her, Thistleclaw had his head raised proudly, his yellow eyes flashing with arrogance. Bluefur stifled a sigh as she caught the admiring look on Snowfur's face as she gazed at the spiky-furred warrior. The two had repaired their friendship that had been damaged after Lilypaw was injured, and now it looked as though they were going to become mates. Moonflower had encouraged her to be supportive of her sister, but as much as Bluefur wanted to be happy for Snowfur, it was impossible to be pleased about the fact that _Thistleclaw _was the cat she had chosen. She felt a little better, however, when she noticed that Lilypaw appeared to be trying not to gag. At least she had one cat on her side in all of this.

"Rosetail! Thistleclaw!" the Clan began yowling. Poppydawn's voice raised above the rest, filled with pride for her two surviving kits and raw grief for Sweetpaw, who would never experience her own warrior ceremony.

"Rosetail!" Bluefur called out. She didn't add Thistleclaw's name, however; she wasn't going to cheer for _him_ of all cats.

As the chants began to die down, Bluefur was puzzled when Pinestar didn't dismiss the Clan to return to their normal duties. Instead, the ThunderClan leader remained where he was, surveying the Clan with a grim expression on his face. A strange chill ran down her spine; somehow, she could tell that Pinestar had some extremely serious news to share with his Clan.

"There is one more thing I wish to say," Pinestar announced. He paused for a brief moment, then continued, "After careful consideration, I have decided that I will leave ThunderClan to become a kittypet."

His words were met with utter silence. Bluefur could only stare at her Clan leader in disbelief. She had known for some time now that Pinestar had been sneaking into Twolegplace, but never in her life would she have imagined that he wanted to stay there.

Finally, Adderfang broke the silence. "You're leaving us to live in _Twolegplace_? As a _kittypet_?"

"Do you have no warrior pride at all?" Stormtail burst out, glaring up at Pinestar. "Kittypets are weak and puny. Do you really want to be known as one of them?"

"Imagine what the other Clans will say about us," Thistleclaw spat, lashing his tail. "Our Clan leader, going off and living a soft, overfed life with Twolegs! They'll think we're weak, mark my words. We'll be overrun by our neighbors by next moon."

"I understand your concerns, believe me," Pinestar meowed. "But I feel that this is what is best for ThunderClan. I have grown too old and weary to lead anymore. I have given eight lives to ThunderClan, but I want to spend my last one in peace without having to worry about when the next battle will take place or if we'll have enough food to eat."

"And you don't think the rest of us wish that too?" To Bluefur's surprise, it was Lilypaw who spoke this time. The white-furred apprentice was glaring at Pinestar, an indignant gleam in her eyes. "You don't think we'd _all _like to have peace? You don't think we want to go every day without worrying if we're going to go hungry? What kind of a leader are you? You're supposed to be considering the good of the Clan, but you're only thinking about yourself!"

Lionpaw stood up. "Do we really want a leader who no longer wishes to lead us?"

Bluefur considered the golden-furred tom's words for a few heartbeats. Perhaps he had a point. Now that she knew Pinestar was unhappy in his role as their leader if he were to stay, would she be as willing to follow him? She knew she would do so–the warrior code demanded it, after all–but somehow, she also knew that her heart wouldn't be in it. It was difficult to feel loyal to a cat who had no loyalty towards her–or, indeed, anyone except for themselves.

Lilypaw seemed to relent a little. "I guess not," she agreed. "But it's still selfish."

_She's not wrong, _Bluefur thought to herself. _But then again, neither is Lionpaw. I don't want to serve a reluctant leader, but on the other hand, Pinestar shouldn't be so self-centered. It's his duty to stick it out when things get hard, isn't it? But now that I know the truth..._

She shook her head. Everything was so confusing and she didn't know how she was supposed to feel anymore. All around her, the rest of the Clan was whispering amongst themselves and shooting rapid-fire glances at Pinestar, as though they no longer recognized him.

Pinestar bounded down from the Highrock and padded his way toward the gorse tunnel. As he passed by, several warriors drew back as though he were infected with greencough. Bluefur felt a pang of irritation. Did they think that wanting to be a kittypet was something contagious? To her credit, Lilypaw didn't flinch away, although she refused to meet the now-former ThunderClan leader's eyes as he walked past her.

"Lead the Clan well, Sunfall," Pinestar murmured as he walked up to Bluefur's father. To the rest of the Clan, he meowed, "I hope one day, you will all understand why I have done this and forgive me."

"We'll forgive you if you're lucky, Pinestar," Adderfang growled. "But we will never, don't, understand."

"If you leave, you can never return," Sunfall meowed warningly.

"I understand," Pinestar replied, dipping his head. "I assure you, I have thought long and hard about whether to leave. This was not a decision I made lightly."

He kept walking, pausing only momentarily to meow a brief farewell to Leopardfoot and his kits. Tigerkit looked up at him and growled, but Mistkit and Nightkit didn't even appear to notice that their father was there. Bluefur felt her heart twist with sorrow at the sight of the two pathetic scraps of fur. Ever since their traumatic birth, the two mollies had only grown weaker as time passed. At this point, it was only a matter of time until they joined StarClan. The unfairness of it all hit her like a claw raking her belly. Why would StarClan allow them to be born if they weren't even going to be given a chance to live?

Silently, she turned around and padded over to sit next to Lilypaw, who was still staring down at her paws. Turning her head briefly, Bluefur caught a glimpse of Pinestar's tail as he disappeared through the gorse tunnel, never to be seen again.

"It's alright," she murmured to her little sister. "The Clan will be safe under Sunfall. He'll make a good leader."

"I know, Bluefur," Lilypaw insisted. "But it still doesn't feel right. Pinestar can say that he's doing this for the good of the Clan all he wants, but right now, it just looks like he wants an excuse to run away."

"You're right, it does look that way," Bluefur agreed. "I think most of the Clan feels the same way. But even if Pinestar doesn't have any Clan loyalty left, we have to make sure that ours never wavers. No matter what, our duty is to serve ThunderClan."

Lilypaw nodded. "That's all I've ever done."

After a few moments of tense, worried muttering and a brief announcement from Sunfall that he would travel to receive his nine lives from StarClan that afternoon, the Clan finally broke apart as the meeting came to an end. Bluefur was about to ask Snowfur if she wanted to share a meal only to spot her sitting beside Thistleclaw near the clump of nettles. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, she turned back to Lilypaw, who was rolling her eyes.

"Can they be _any _more obvious?" the white apprentice asked scornfully. "Bluefur, if I ever behave like that over any cat, you have my full permission to claw my fur off."

"I'll hold you to it," Bluefur replied, suddenly feeling much more cheerful.

"Hey, Bluefur, Lilypaw, come share this thrush with me!" Rosetail called over to them from the other side of the camp. "It looks nice and juicy and I'd hate to have to eat it by myself."

"Coming, Rosetail!" Bluefur called back. To Lilypaw, she added, "Come on, let's go join Rosetail. At least she'll be good company."

"But of course," Lilypaw replied in an overly respectful voice. "Lead the way, my dear sister, and allow us to embark on a journey into the mysterious world of satiation."

Bluefur shook her head and chuckled. "You have such a way with words sometimes."

"I know, aren't I amazing?"

"And so modest as well!"

"HEY! Was that sarcasm?" Lilypaw pouted, but her eyes were gleaming playfully.

Bluefur purred. "I'll let you figure that one out yourself."

"Bluefur, how could you? Using sarcasm to make a mockery of me. I didn't know you were like that. Now you've taken away my dignity and I must crawl into a deep pit far beneath the ground, never to be seen again."

Laughing, Bluefur flicked Lilypaw affectionately between her ears as the two cats continued on their way to join Rosetail for a late morning meal. No matter what went wrong, it was always nice to know that she had her baby sister to cheer her up.

* * *

**Thistleclaw and Rosetail are warriors now, which means that he and Snowfur will be having Whitekit soon...that's about the only good thing that came out of their relationship. I know some of you wanted me to make Lilypaw a warrior before Thistleclaw, but unfortunately, that wouldn't really work seeing as he started his training when she had just been born. If they were a bit closer in age, it might work, but he had already been an apprentice for six moons by the time she started. That's a bit too much ground to make up. **

**So that's good news for Thistleclaw...for now, anyway, at least he'll be safe from getting kicked and yelled at by Lilypaw. Actually, probably not. She'll find a way to torture him somehow. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	11. Evil Trees

Most of the time, Lilypaw prided herself on being one of the bravest cats in ThunderClan. She could hunt at Snakerocks without so much as batting an eye at the thought of the adders lurking in every crevice. She could face a ShadowClan invasion without turning tail and fleeing back to the camp. She could even stand up to Thistleclaw even though the gray and white warrior was considerably larger than her and probably could have sliced her open in one blow if he felt like it.

Somehow, however, all of her courage and bravado dissipated into thin air whenever she was faced with the task of climbing a tree.

Lilypaw couldn't figure out why that was herself. Everyone in ThunderClan climbed trees; it was just something cats _did _when they lived in a forest. Moonflower, Bluefur, Sunstar, and Snowfur all knew how to climb trees; it should have been as natural to her as breathing. Yet somehow, the thought of being more than a tail-length off the ground caused her stomach to twist into a knot and her heart to pound furiously against her chest.

"Y-you want me to climb the Great Sycamore?" Lilypaw asked, staring at Thrushpelt in horror.

"That's right," the sandy-gray warrior confirmed.

"Thrushpelt, that's ridiculous! You know I can't climb!" she protested, shaking her head fervently.

Thrushpelt purred. "You're a ThunderClan cat, Lilypaw. Of course, you can climb," he meowed confidently.

Lilypaw stared at him. "But–but it's so high!" she exclaimed. "I'll never be able to make it up. And what if I fall?"

"You won't as long as you use your tail to balance yourself," her mentor told her. "And I'm not going to make you go all the way to the top. We'll just go about three fox-lengths up today. Does that sound alright?"

"No! That does _not _sound alright!" Lilypaw screeched. "I'm staying right here on the ground, thank you very much!"

"Lilypaw, I know you're scared, but you don't have to be," Thrushpelt meowed soothingly. "You're going to be just fine, I promise. Your family would have my fur off if they knew I let anything happen to you, after all. And I'll be climbing with you."

"Well...okay, then." That didn't sound like it would fix anything to Lilypaw, but she could tell there was no way she was getting out of this one. "But you're going up first."

"Very well," Thrushpelt agreed.

The two cats continued along their way to the Great Sycamore in silence. As they drew closer, the knot of dread in Lilypaw's stomach slowly grew bigger and bigger until she was certain that she was going to make herself sick from fear. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. Of course, she trusted that Thrushpelt would do his best to keep her safe, but he couldn't prevent every possible accident from occurring. Vivid images of falling out of the massive tree and hitting the ground below began racing through Lilypaw's mind, and she felt her limbs begin to shake.

"Thrushpelt, I really don't think I can do this," she whimpered, hating how pitiful her voice sounded even to her. _Great StarClan, I sound like a kit! _

Her mentor merely rested his tail gently on her shoulder. "You _can _do it," he told her firmly. "I know you can. Just follow my lead, and whatever you do, don't look down. Look, we're here now."

Lilypaw jumped slightly. In the midst of her growing terror, she hadn't even noticed that they had arrived at the Great Sycamore. Her heart still pounding rapidly against her chest, she craned her neck to look up at the massive tree. She had seen it countless times before while out hunting and patrolling, but now that she was faced with the daunting task of climbing it, the once-familiar sycamore appeared as foreign as an enemy camp. As she watched, Thrushpelt bounded on top of a branch about two tail-lengths off the ground with practiced ease.

_This is crazy! Climbing this tree? There's no way I can do it! _the white molly thought, staring up at her mentor. _That's right. If I back out now, I can still spare some dignity. _

"Lilypaw, come on!" Thrushpelt called down to her. He paused for a moment, then added, "If you make it up, I'll catch you a rabbit on the way home."

That made Lilypaw pause for a few heartbeats. Rabbits were her favorite food, and she had never passed up an opportunity to eat one. They were just large enough that they could make a good meal, they were nice and juicy, and unlike prey such as sparrows or chaffinches, she didn't choke on feathers every time she ate one. Almost instinctively, her mouth began to water slightly.

_I suppose if I get a rabbit, it won't be too bad, _she thought. Narrowing her eyes, she tensed her muscles and sprang up to join Thrushpelt on his branch.

"Well done," the sandy-gray tom purred.

"Thanks," Lilypaw replied, then stiffened as she realized what she had just done. _Did I really just give in to a rabbit? _

"Come on, the next one isn't much higher. Follow me," Thrushpelt ordered, leaping on top of another branch just above their heads.

_Well, I guess there's no backing out now. _

Bunching her muscles together, she sprang upward and landed beside her mentor. As she did so, however, a small gust of wind nearly knocked her off the branch. Lilypaw's heart dropped as it swayed precariously underneath her, and she struggled to bite back a scream of terror.

"Forget it! I changed my mind! I don't want the rabbit anymore!" she shrieked.

Thrushpelt shook his head. "Lilypaw, you're not even three tail-lengths off the ground yet."

"Yeah, so? What's your point?" she asked, gripping the branch even more tightly.

"Lilypaw, just take a deep breath and _relax_," her mentor told her calmly. "You're not going to fall out, I promise. Look, there isn't much further to go now."

"Don't make promises you can't keep!" Lilypaw yowled as Thrushpelt jumped onto the next limb. "And just how much further is 'not much further'?"

Barely managing not to make herself sick, the white-furred apprentice leaped up to join Thrushpelt on his branch. She held her breath as she landed, then let it out in a shaky sigh of relief when the wind didn't pick up again. Even so, that didn't stop her from digging her claws into the bark until she was certain that she would rip them out if she tried to move.

_StarClan, help me!_

"I can't do this!" Lilypaw screeched, her chest heaving as she fought the urge to vomit. "Thrushpelt, I made a grave mistake! Tell my family I made a brave farewell!"

"You're almost there, Lilypaw. Just two more branches and we can climb back down," Thrushpelt meowed encouragingly.

"_Two more?_" Lilypaw shrieked.

"That's right, just two more," her mentor confirmed. "The next one is a little higher up, so climb onto it using the trunk instead of jumping."

Nodding, Lilypaw clenched her teeth and inched her way over to the trunk of the Great Sycamore. To her relief, latching her claws onto the trunk and pulling herself upward was almost as natural as breathing. Thrushpelt was right; it was easier than jumping. She climbed up for a few heartbeats before settling down on the next branch, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.

_Don't let me fall! _

"Just one more, Lilypaw. You're doing wonderfully," Thrushpelt called out.

Lilypaw just nodded, too petrified to even think about speaking now. She was about to spring onto the next branch, then changed her mind and scaled up the trunk instead. Once she had reached the final branch, she slid over to sit beside the sandy-gray warrior. Part of her was almost tempted to look down, but she refused to give in, staring straight ahead of her instead.

"Alright," she meowed flatly. "I made it. Now let me get down."

"Certainly," Thrushpelt purred, and Lilypaw wanted nothing more than to swipe her claws over his ears. Was he _mocking _her?

Somehow, the climb back down seemed to take even longer than the climb up. As Lilypaw discovered, although her claws were perfectly suited for scaling up a tree, they did little more than get in the way when going in the opposite direction. In the end, she had to settle for turning herself around so that her tail was pointing toward the ground and inching her way down slowly. The moment her paws hit the ground, Lilypaw collapsed onto her side.

"I'm alive!" she cried happily.

"Of course," Thrushpelt meowed. "I told you that everything would be okay."

"I guess," Lilypaw agreed. Now that she was safe on the ground again, she had to admit that the experience hadn't been _quite _as terrible as she had expected. "But let's not do that again."

"Well, we need to keep practicing in order to get you more comfortable, but we can stop today. Why don't we pick it up again tomorrow?" the sandy-gray tom suggested.

Lilypaw thought for a few heartbeats. "Okay, then."

"Excellent," Thrushpelt meowed. "Now, I believe I promised you a rabbit, so why don't we hunt on our way back to the camp?"

Lilypaw nodded and followed her mentor through the forest, scanning the area of any sign of unsuspecting prey. The tension in her muscles had relaxed slightly and her heart had finally stopped battering itself against her chest. She was safe again–for now. Sooner or later, she knew that she would have to get used to climbing, but for now, she was more than happy to settle down with a nice, warm rabbit because she definitely deserved it.

* * *

**So yes, Lilypaw is acrophobic. There's no real reason or backstory behind this; heights just freak her out. I alluded to her having a fear of heights slightly in chapter six, and I wanted to expand on that a bit more. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	12. A Good Day for Bad News

Lilypaw narrowed her eyes as a rabbit hopped across her path, seemingly oblivious to her presence. As her prey paused for a moment to sniff at a patch of berries, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to StarClan that it wasn't a bird she was stalking. The last thing she needed was to be forced to climb again, especially during her warrior assessment. She wasn't absolutely petrified of heights anymore–she could make it up at least two fox-lengths without hyperventilating–but if she never had to climb another tree, she would die happy.

_Almost there, _she thought as she crept toward the rabbit, careful not to make a single sound. She pounced, killing it with one swift bite. _Yes! _

Burying the rabbit under a pile of leaves, Lilypaw glanced up at the sky. It wasn't quite sunhigh yet, meaning she still had time to catch a few more pieces of fresh-kill before it was time to head back to the camp to meet Thrushpelt. She continued on her way through the forest, pausing again a few heartbeats later when she scented a mouse somewhere a few fox-lengths away. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned the area, trying to find the small rodent.

_There! _Lilypaw spotted the mouse sifting through a pile of leaves.

Quickly, she dropped into a crouch and padded forward, her steps light and swift this time. Before the mouse had time to sense her, she leaped, sinking her teeth into its neck. The tiny gray animal went limp in her jaws. At the same time, another mouse darted across her path, and Lilypaw quickly dropped the one in her jaws and killed the second one as well.

_That should be enough for me to pass my assessment, _Lilypaw thought happily.

A moment later, her optimism was replaced by dread when she heard a rustling sound from somewhere above her head. Looking up, the young molly spotted a blackbird perched on a branch about four fox-lengths above the ground. It hadn't seen her yet, which was good since if it did, it would undoubtedly call an alarm that would frighten off everyone else's prey. If that happened, she would definitely fail her assessment, never mind how much prey she had caught. As it was, the bird had no idea she was there, so Lilypaw was perfectly content to leave it right where it was.

_But what if Thrushpelt sees me leave the blackbird and decides I can't be a warrior? _she wondered. Although she hadn't seen him, she knew her sandy-gray mentor was watching her. _What if he decides to fail me because I'm still too scared to climb? _

Lilypaw stood there for several long heartbeats, torn on what to do. Part of her knew that she was being ridiculous, that there was no way Thrushpelt would fail her after she had done so well. He would never be so unfair, especially when he knew how frightened she was of heights. But at the same time, a shred of doubt lingered in her mind. If she abandoned the hunt now, it would look as though she were running away. Warriors weren't supposed to run away, even when they were scared. Running away was for cowards, and if there was one thing Lilypaw was not, it was a coward.

"Lilypaw, what are you doing?"

With a groan, she spun around to see Snowfur and Thistleclaw standing behind her. Now that the spiky-furred tom was here, she had no choice but to try to catch the blackbird. If she didn't, he would no doubt find great joy in telling the whole camp that she was too afraid to climb a tree. Not that she cared what he thought, but she certainly didn't need any trouble from an arrogant tom such as him.

"My assessment," she replied shortly, glaring at Thistleclaw. "I'm almost finished. Just going to get that blackbird up there."

"Good luck," Snowfur meowed warmly, and Lilypaw gave her sister a friendly look.

"Don't pull any funny business this time," she growled at Thistleclaw, referencing the disastrous hunt at Sunningrocks a few moons ago.

Turning around, Lilypaw tried to ignore her rapidly-beating heart as she tried to find the best way to scale the tree. Using her claws to climb the trunk was the easiest, but she feared that the blackbird would hear her claws scraping against the bark. That meant she would have to jump from branch to branch. Lilypaw searched for a low-hanging branch, finally finding one about three tail-lengths above her head.

_Here goes nothing, _she thought grimly.

Vividly aware of Snowfur and Thistleclaw's gazes trained on her back, Lilypaw crouched down and prepared to jump. Before she could rethink her decision, she forced herself upward, landing safely on the first branch. To her relief, although it shook slightly, it didn't do anything to alert the blackbird.

_One down, way too many more to go. _

She leaped up again, landing on another branch two tail-lengths above the first. The next one was just barely above that, so she made quick work of that one as well. As she ascended higher and higher above the ground, Lilypaw kept her eyes trained on the blackbird, resisting the temptation to look back down.

_Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down,_ she chanted silently.

The blackbird was so close, she could almost reach out and snag it. Unfortunately for Lilypaw, she had encountered a new problem. The next branch–the one the blackbird was on, incidentally–was too high for her to leap to from where she was. She had no choice; she would have to climb the trunk while making as little noise as possible. Sending a silent plea to StarClan for help, Lilypaw unsheathed her claws and placed them carefully into the bark. Taking a deep breath, she began to climb.

_StarClan, I implore you, don't let me frighten it away now. Not after I've gone to all this trouble to get up here. _

It seemed to take an entire lifetime to reach the final branch. Every time Lilypaw moved, she resisted the urge to flinch, paranoid that any movement would alert her prey to her presence. Still, she made her way up, slowly and painfully. At one point, her claws accidentally scraped the bark, and she froze as the blackbird paused for a moment and looked around. Lilypaw held her breath, then relaxed as it settled down again. With one final push, she pulled herself onto the branch, silently letting out a sigh of relief.

_Thank StarClan, _Lilypaw thought fervently.

She was almost there now. Just a few more steps and the blackbird would be in her grasp. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Lilypaw crouched down and began to stalk towards her feathered prey.

_Don't look down, _she ordered herself. If she looked down now, there was no doubt she would panic.

There were only three tail-lengths between her and the blackbird now. If she wanted, she could easily catch it right now. Still, Lilypaw hesitated for a few heartbeats. She didn't know if the branch would hold up if she had to jump, not to mention there was the possibility that she might miss her landing entirely. Deciding to go the safer route, she took a few more steps forward until she was only a tail-length away.

_Now! _

Lilypaw lunged forward, snagging the blackbird in her claws. Not wanting to give it time to call out an alarm, she sank her teeth into its neck, killing it instantly. The bird went limp in her jaws as she sat up, a wave of mixed relief and triumph washing over her.

"Well done!" Snowfur called up to her.

"Thanks!" Lilypaw called back–and promptly made the mistake of looking down.

Snowfur and even the unusually large Thistleclaw looked like mere specks from her perch in the tree. The ground below appeared almost as far away as the sky itself, and Lilypaw thought it might be even further away. Letting out a gasp of shock, Lilypaw stumbled back. Unfortunately, this movement caused her to slip off the branch, sending her plummeting toward the forest floor.

"This is the last time I ever–oh!" she grunted as her body was knocked against another branch.

"I only decided to do this because I had to–ow!"

Another branch.

"I don't even like trees–ouch!"

Another one.

"This stupid bird–ow!"

Another one.

"Well, if it comes to it, I'll just whack Thistleclaw over the head with it," Lilypaw muttered as she finally hit the ground with a grunt of pain. Fortunately, she didn't hear anything snap, so she assumed she had escaped without breaking any bones. "Ouch."

"Lilypaw!" Snowfur cried, rushing over to her. Thistleclaw followed, looking utterly disinterested. "Lilypaw, are you okay?"

"I think so," Lilypaw grunted, pushing herself up. "Just a bit bruised."

"Oh, you _really _need to stop doing things like that," her sister huffed, giving Lilypaw's fur a few vigorous licks. "Honestly! What were you thinking? You should know to be careful when you're climbing! You're lucky you didn't go any higher or else you'd be in even worse shape!"

"But I caught the blackbird," Lilypaw meowed cheerfully, picking it up from where she had dropped it during her fall.

"Yes, indeed. Well done, Lilypaw," Thrushpelt meowed, striding over towards them. Lilypaw jumped slightly and spun around. "You did an excellent job today."

"Thanks!" she replied happily. "Does that mean I pass?"

"Of course," Thrushpelt purred, flicking her shoulder with his tail. "We'll have Sunstar hold your ceremony at sunset."

"Yay!" Lilypaw cheered, accidentally flinging the blackbird into the air. It soared upward for a moment before bouncing off of Thistleclaw's head. "Ha–I mean, oops."

"Congratulations, Lilypaw!" Snowfur purred, giving her an affectionate lick between her ears. "You'll be sleeping in the warriors' den with me and Bluefur now."

Thistleclaw didn't look at all pleased about this, but Lilypaw was too excited to pay him any attention. Finally, after moons of training, she would be sharing a den with her sisters again. She wondered what her warrior name would be. Personally, she liked the idea of being named Lilystorm or Lilysong. Lilyfur would be a cool name as well, if only because she would match with her sisters. The only names she was completely opposed to were ones related to flowers, such as Lilyspring, Lilyflower, or Lilypetal. Ever since she had been a kit, everyone had assumed that Lilypaw loved flowers because of her name, and she had grown to heartily dislike them because of this.

_I have to go. I can't let Sunstar give me a flower name,_ Lilypaw thought, turning and sprinting back toward the ThunderClan camp.

"Lilypaw, wait! Where are you going?" Thrushpelt called after her. "We still need to take back your prey!"

"I can't talk right now!" Lilypaw yowled over her shoulder. "I have to stop Sunstar from giving me a flower name!"

* * *

Fortunately, she didn't have anything to worry about. As the newly-named Lilyspark settled down in the middle of the camp for her vigil, she reflected on the amusement on her father's face when she had all but threatened to kick him from the camp to Highstones if he even thought about giving her a flower-related name. In hindsight, it probably hadn't been the best course of action, but Sunstar had simply rested his tail gently on her shoulder and assured her that he would never do such a thing. Instead, he had named her Lilyspark, a name that she was definitely pleased with.

_It is a strange one, though, _Lilyspark mused. _I don't think any cat has ever been given "spark" as a suffix. Hey, maybe I'll become part of ancient history as the first cat to ever have it! No, wait...that's stupid..._

She turned her head to look at the moon shining high in the night sky. It hadn't quite reached its peak yet, which meant she still had a long night of waiting ahead of her. Resisting the temptation to yawn in boredom, Lilyspark glanced over at the entrance to the warriors' den. Through the dim light, she could faintly make out the shapes of her sisters and mother as they slept on. Lilyspark purred silently to herself, remembering the pride in their gazes as she received her warrior name.

The entrance to the warriors' den rustled as Stormtail pushed his way out. Lilyspark glanced away uncomfortably, well aware of the history between the blue-gray tom and Moonflower. Moreover, Stormtail had never been friendly to her. He had never been rude like Thistleclaw often was, but he seemed to go out of his way to ignore her. Most of the time, Lilyspark couldn't care less whether he spoke to her or not, but right now she was supposed to be sitting vigil and she was wondering if she was meant to ask him where he was going.

"Don't mind me," Stormtail grunted in a low voice as he passed her. "Just going to use the dirtplace."

Lilyspark just nodded and turned to watch the apprentices' den again. It was empty at the moment, which worried her slightly. Tigerkit was the oldest kit in the nursery, and he wouldn't become an apprentice for a few more moons. Until then, the Clan would be without any new warriors to train.

_Oh well. We'll just have to make do with the ones we have now, _she thought.

Letting out a sigh, Lilyspark gazed back up at the moon, waiting silently for her night of solitude and silence to end.

* * *

As soon as she was given permission to abandon her post, Lilyspark wasted no time in heading inside the warriors' den to her nest. It was on the outer edge, which didn't surprise her since she was the newest warrior. She curled up inside as Moonflower walked past her, pausing momentarily to murmur a greeting to the white-furred molly as she padded out of the den.

"Sleep well, dear," Moonflower meowed softly.

Lilyspark was about to do just that when Snowfur's voice piped up from the other side of the den. Curious as to what her sister was talking about, Lilyspark closed her eyes while straining her ears to listen in on Snowfur's conversation.

"Thistleclaw, wake up. I have news for you," the older warrior meowed excitedly.

"What is it?" Thistleclaw grunted, still sounding as though he were half-asleep. Lilyspark turned her head ever so slightly to see the gray and white warrior push himself out of his nest.

The next words out of Snowfur's mouth made her wish that she had fallen asleep instead of listening in on their conversation.

"I'm going to have your kits."

* * *

**Good news, our girl is a warrior now! Bad news...Snowfur is going to have Thistleclaw's kits. But hey, at least it means Whitestorm will still be a thing later in the story. **

**Lily finally managed to climb a tree! Although, the climb down could have gone a lot better...poor Lily. I don't think she'll be trying that again anytime soon. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	13. Mothers and Pranks

All in all, it seemed that the only cats happy about the fact that Snowfur was expecting Thistleclaw's kits were her and Thistleclaw. Moonflower and Sunstar were happy for Snowfur, but they were admittedly less than pleased about the fact that Thistleclaw was her mate. Bluefur had made no secret of her disgust on the situation, and Lilyspark was torn between being happy for her sister and wanting to vomit every piece of fresh-kill she had ever eaten. The rest of the Clan was just happy about having new kits on the way and didn't seem to care one way or another who the parents were.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Lilyspark heard Dappletail sighing to Stormtail one day.

_Yeah, but it would be a lot more wonderful if my sister's mate wasn't a cross between a badger and a hedgehog, _she scoffed silently.

"It is," Stormtail agreed gruffly. As if trying to give the pretty tortoiseshell a hint, he added, "You know, we could have a family of our own someday too. What do you think?"

At that, Dappletail looked away uncomfortably. Ever since the pair had become mates a few moons before Lilyspark was born, the Clan had been waiting for an announcement about kits. But none had ever come, and there were rumors flying around the camp now that Dappletail was barren. Lilyspark wasn't sure whether they were true herself, but neither Dappletail or Stormtail had ever said anything to dispel the mutterings.

"Yeah, I guess," the tortoiseshell molly muttered finally. Noticing Lilyspark, she waved her over. "Lilyspark, isn't it great? Your sister is going to have kits!"

"Yes, we're all very pleased for her," Lilyspark replied politely. In her head, she added, _If only they weren't Thistleclaw's kits too. _

Dappletail nodded. "She must be nervous–all queens are for their first litter," she meowed. "But I'm sure everything will go just fine. Featherwhisker will make sure the birth goes smoothly, and she'll have Thistleclaw and her family at her side."

"Will Thistleclaw even fit in the nursery?" Lilyspark asked jokingly. Unfortunately, Dappletail missed the humor in her voice and her eyes widened.

"Oh no, you're right! I should ask Sunstar to make the nursery entrance bigger so he'll be able to get inside," she exclaimed, leaping to her paws and sprinting off toward the Highrock. "Thanks, Lilyspark! You're a genius!"

"Dappletail, wait! I didn't actually mean that–oh, forget it," Lilyspark muttered, turning and padding away toward the camp entrance. "I swear, I'm losing my sanity just by being around these idiots."

Deciding to get some fresh air to escape the seemingly endless conversations about Snowfur's kits, she walked through the gorse tunnel and into the forest. Almost immediately, however, she wished she had just gone back to her nest instead. For standing outside the camp, clearly in the middle of an argument, were Bluefur and Snowfur. Lilyspark stood by awkwardly, but it didn't appear that either of her sisters had noticed her yet.

"Look, Bluefur, I know you don't like him, but he means a lot to me," Snowfur meowed, sounding as though she was barely holding her temper. "And I just wish that you could be happy for me too."

"I _am _happy for you, Snowfur," Bluefur snapped. "I never said I wasn't. But Thistleclaw? Really? Out of every cat you could have picked, why him?"

"Is this a bad time?" Lilyspark asked awkwardly. Both littermates spun around to face her.

"Lilyspark!" Bluefur purred, all annoyance vanishing instantly as she bounded over and touched noses with her younger sister. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. I've just accidentally sent Dappletail to demolish the entrance to the nursery," she answered.

Snowfur stared at her. "How do you accidentally send someone to demolish the entrance to the nursery?"

"It works best if the other cat is an idiot," Lilyspark grumbled.

Her sister stared at her for a few heartbeats longer, then shook her head. "Never mind. Anyway, Bluefur–"

"Oh, here we go again," Bluefur muttered.

"_Anyway_," Snowfur meowed firmly. "I know you and Thistleclaw don't get along, but I just need you to do this for me. He's overjoyed and I know he'll make a good father."

Bluefur didn't say anything to that, but Lilyspark could read the unspoken thoughts in her eyes. _Well, if Thistleclaw is pleased, that's just fine. _

"Lilyspark, what do you think about all of this?" Snowfur asked suddenly, turning to her instead.

"Oh–I, uh, well," Lilyspark meowed, trying to figure out how to answer her older sister's question. On the one hand, she was pleased that Snowfur was so happy and she didn't want to ruin that. On the other hand, she couldn't see any plausible scenario in which Thistleclaw would make a good father or why she should be happy that he was going to father her sister's kits. "I mean, I'm happy that you're having kits and all, Snowfur, I really am. But I don't like Thistleclaw any more than Bluefur does, you know that. I'm sorry, but I really don't understand what you see in him. He's never been remotely nice to anyone except you and he walks around acting like he's StarClan's greatest gift to the forest. How many times does he go on and on about how he's going to be Clan leader one day?"

"But I love him," Snowfur meowed simply. "Even though he is what you say, that doesn't change how I feel about him. And I'm not asking you to understand that. All I want is your word that you'll be supportive of us."

Lilyspark hesitated for a few heartbeats, then nodded. "Fine."

"Fine," Bluefur echoed. More hesitantly, she added, "It _is _great news, Snowfur, really. The Clan needs more kits. It's just–"

Snowfur laid her tail-tip against the blue-gray warrior's mouth. "I know," she murmured.

_Well, I guess it's fine for me and Bluefur either way. We're not the ones having Thistleclaw's kits, _Lilyspark thought.

Nodding to her sisters, she turned and walked deeper into the forest. Several flowers were beginning to bloom, signaling the arrival of newleaf. That was a good sign. At least Snowfur wouldn't have to give birth to her kits in the dead of leaf-bare. As she paused to sniff the air, a mouse scurried across her path. Quickly, she dropped into a hunting crouch and stalked forward. Once she was about a tail-length away, she pounced, nipping the back of the rodent's neck.

"Good catch!"

Lilyspark spun around to see Lionheart behind her. "Thanks."

"I've just been talking with Goldenflower," the golden-furred tom meowed. "Isn't it so great. Snowfur is–"

"–going to have kits, yes, I know," Lilyspark sighed, barely resisting the urge to snap in annoyance. "It's wonderful news. Absolutely thrilling. This is the best day in ThunderClan's history."

Lionheart looked rather taken aback. "Well, excuse me."

"You're excused," Lilyspark replied sarcastically.

"Come on, why are you being so hostile?" her friend pressed. "I would have thought that you'd be overjoyed, seeing as how these kits are going to be your kin."

To be honest, Lilyspark had forgotten that bit of information.

"I am happy, really. It's just that everyone seems to be talking about the kits and it just gets old hearing about them after a while," she meowed. Well, it wasn't _entirely _a lie.

"Why?" Lionheart asked curiously.

Lilyspark wasn't in the mood to get into another discussion about Thistleclaw again, so she decided to go with another lie and replied, "I guess I've just never really understood what's so exciting about having kits. Don't get me wrong, I know they're good for the Clan, but I just don't see the appeal otherwise."

"You'll understand when you're older," Lionheart meowed, flicking his tail against her shoulder.

"You're only two moons older than me, you know," Lilyspark pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Two moons older is still older," the golden tom replied smugly.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Lionheart," she chuckled, turning around and padding away. "I'll see you back at the camp."

She continued on her way, taking the path toward Fourtrees. A pigeon flew over her head and landed in a tree, but Lilyspark made no attempt to catch it. Her muscles were still aching from when she had fallen out of the tree during her warrior assessment two days ago. Part of her wished that she had fallen on Thistleclaw simply because she liked the idea of flattening him (however unintentionally).

It occurred to Lilyspark that she probably wasn't entirely right in the head.

Later that afternoon, Lilyspark returned to the camp with her mouse grasped firmly in her jaws. Unfortunately for her, the first cat she spotted upon her arrival in ThunderClan's camp was Thistleclaw. She walked past him, keeping her eyes averted as she headed for the fresh-kill pile, fervently praying that he wouldn't notice her or call her over. Despite her promise to Snowfur, there was no way she was going to start being friendly with Thistleclaw.

"Lilyspark! Over here!"

_Why do you hate me, StarClan? _

Gritting her teeth, she turned around and meowed tiredly, "_Yes_, Thistleclaw? What do you want?"

Thistleclaw bounded over to her, abandoning the thrush he had been eating. Instead of his usual scowl, however, there was an almost pleading look on his face. Lilyspark narrowed her eyes suspiciously; what was he trying to play at?

"I need your help," he meowed abruptly.

"You? You need _my _help?" Lilyspark didn't even bother trying to hide her astonishment. "Well, that's something new, I must say. What is it that you need?"

"Snowfur asked me to talk to Moonflower," Thistleclaw admitted. "She isn't too happy about me, and Snowfur said she wants us all to try to get along. But I'm not sure what to say to her, so I was hoping that maybe you had some ideas."

"Okay," Lilyspark replied slowly. "And is there any particular reason as to why you couldn't just ask _her _for advice instead?"

"She left before I had a chance," the spiky-furred warrior grumbled, and she laughed. "It's not funny, Lilyspark! I need this to work out."

"Okay, okay," she meowed, startled. "Let's just–"

"Are you bothering Lilyspark again, Thistleclaw?" Bluefur's voice growled from behind them.

"Hi, Bluefur!" Lilyspark greeted the blue-furred molly cheerfully while Thistleclaw grimaced.

"No, I'm not bothering her," he meowed irritably. "I needed advice, okay?"

"For what?" Bluefur asked skeptically, securing herself at Lilyspark's side protectively. Lilyspark could tell that she was just barely refraining from insulting him.

"He's supposed to talk to Moonflower and doesn't know what to say," she told her sister.

"Ah, I see," Bluefur meowed, her whiskers twitching.

"Yeah, I know," Lilyspark remarked. Turning back to Thistleclaw, she continued, "Okay, if you want to win our mother over, you need to do _exactly _as I say. Got it?"

"Of course," Thistleclaw meowed, nodding.

"Right," she meowed. "Remember, if you want her to believe you, body language is the key. Got it? Okay. The first thing you need to do is say, 'I know you don't like me, but I need to talk to you about me and Snowfur,' while waving your front paws from side to side like you're a tree. Next, you have to say, 'You probably already know this, but she's having my kits and we're both really excited,' while lying on your back and repeatedly thrusting your stomach in the air. Finally, you should say, 'I promise to take care of Snowfur and always treat her well,' while doing your best impression of a bird taking flight."

"Okay..." Thistleclaw meowed slowly, staring at her. "And you're positive this will work?"

"Positive," Lilyspark answered with an air of confidence, biting back the urge to laugh. "Come on, let's go. The sooner we do this, the better. You come too, Bluefur."

She spun around and led Thistleclaw and Bluefur over to where Moonflower was sharing tongues with Sunstar, a half-eaten squirrel between them. The two cats looked up as they approached and Lilyspark bounded over to greet her parents. Moonflower brushed her nose against her cheek before going over to Bluefur as well. She nodded to Thistleclaw, although her expression was rather guarded.

"Hello," Moonflower murmured. "Is there something the three of you needed?"

"Thistleclaw said he needed to talk to you," Lilyspark answered. She glanced over at the gray and white warrior and added, "Your show."

Thistleclaw nodded and stepped forward, taking a seat in front of Moonflower. Raising his front paws in the air above his head, he began waving them side to side and meowed, "I know you don't like me, but I need to talk to you about me and Snowfur."

Lilyspark stared at him in disbelief. _Great StarClan, he actually did it. _

"Er...well, alright," Moonflower agreed, clearly confused. Meanwhile, Sunstar looked torn between amusement and disapproval. "Go ahead."

"You probably already know this, but she's having my kits and we're both really excited," Thistleclaw continued, rolling over onto his back and thrusting his stomach in the air repeatedly.

By now, Lilyspark was fighting hard not to laugh. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bluefur doubling over in silent hysterics. She sent a wordless prayer of thanks to StarClan that Snowfur wasn't there. Her white-furred sister definitely wouldn't have been pleased about her prank on Thistleclaw.

"And we're both very happy for you two," Moonflower replied politely.

Thistleclaw nodded and stood up. Bracing his shoulders, he crouched down and leaped high into the air, nearly shouting, "I promise to take care of Snowfur and always treat her well!"

He crashed to the ground again, letting out a grunt as he landed. Fortunately, the sound of his fall was enough to muffle the snort of laughter that came out of Lilyspark's mouth. She looked around the clearing to see that several other warriors were staring at them now. As Thistleclaw struggled back to his paws, Moonflower walked over to him with an unusually serious expression on her face.

"Thistleclaw," she began. "Do you mean that. Are you really going to treat Snowfur well and take care of her no matter what?"

"Yes, yes, I will," the spiky-furred warrior meowed, nodding fervently. Lilyspark was startled at the conviction in his voice.

"Good. Then you have my approval," Moonflower replied, her gaze softening.

Thistleclaw let out a sigh of relief. Turning to Lilyspark, he meowed, "Thanks for your help."

"No problem," she replied, still trying to suppress her snickers.

"Yeah, she'll help you anytime," Bluefur added, doing a much less successful job of hiding her own.

"I do have one question, though," Thistleclaw meowed. "What exactly was the meaning behind all of those weird stretches you were making me do?"

"Well, nothing really," Lilyspark answered, flicking her tail dismissively.

"WHAT?" Thistleclaw yowled, staring at her in disbelief. "Lilyspark, you traitor! Why did you make me do them if they didn't mean anything?"

At that point, Lilyspark couldn't hold in herself together any longer. She doubled over, her sides splitting as she nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter. Bluefur joined her as well, while Thistleclaw merely sank onto his side in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Moonflower and Sunstar just stared at them, clearly bewildered as to what was going on.

"Well, I had to have _some _fun," Lilyspark meowed finally, gasping as she tried to catch her breath.

Thistleclaw just grumbled.

* * *

**Who else enjoyed the Clannad reference I added in the story? **

**Lilyspark is also going to be a massive troll in this fanfic. **


	14. Whitekit

Two moons later, in the middle of a warm afternoon, Snowfur gave birth to a single fluffy white tom. Her entire family was present for the birth of her son, including Thistleclaw, although it was rather crowded and uncomfortable in the nursery. As Lilyspark watched the two new parents admiring their son, she felt a twinge of what almost seemed like respect for Thistleclaw. Perhaps he really did love her after all.

"What are you going to name him?" Moonflower asked, giving the newborn's fur a gentle lick.

"His name is Whitekit," Snowfur answered, not taking her eyes off of her son.

_Well, I certainly wouldn't give her any points for creativity, but it's not bad, _Lilyspark conceded. Out loud, however, she meowed, "That's a great name, Snowfur."

"Thank you, Lilyspark," her sister purred.

Featherwhisker examined the newly-named Whitekit carefully. "He's strong and healthy," he announced. "Congratulations, Snowfur, Thistleclaw."

Ever since their discussion with Snowfur in the forest, Lilyspark and Bluefur had come to an uneasy truce with Thistleclaw. The spiky-furred warrior still made no secret of her dislike for them, but he didn't go out of his way to insult them anymore. In return, Lilyspark did her best to keep her temper under control whenever she was around him–no easy feat considering her tendency to explode at the slightest provocation. Bluefur had kept her remarks at bay as well, although Lilyspark suspected that it was easier for her since Bluefur had always been more even-tempered.

Maybe this would be the start of a new beginning for all of them. Lilyspark didn't understand what had drawn her sister to Thistleclaw in the first place, and she suspected that she might never fully understand. But if he continued acting the way he was now, she figured that she might be able to accept him. At the very least it would be a somewhat even trade. She would have to get used to his arrogance and he would have to get used to her temper and pranks.

_And speaking of pranks,_ Lilyspark thought as Tigerkit's voice piped up sleepily, "Is it over yet?"

Padding over to the kit, she meowed in a low voice, "Yes, it is. It ended about a thousand moons ago, actually."

"Wait, really?" Tigerkit asked, letting out a yawn. "That can't be possible, right? You'd be dead."

"That's right, little one. I'm a StarClan warrior," Lilyspark meowed solemnly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her family shaking their heads tiredly.

"Really? Wow! That's so cool," Tigerkit exclaimed, staring up at her with wide amber eyes. "What's it like in StarClan? Is it warm there? I bet it's not as warm as the nursery. Do you get to eat lots of prey? _My _favorite prey is a mouse. What's yours?"

Lilyspark stared at the little tabby. "How long can you keep this game going?"

"Wait, you mean you're not actually a StarClan warrior?" Tigerkit asked, his mouth gaping open in confusion.

"Did you really think I was?" Lilyspark asked in disbelief. _Wow, kits really are gullible. _

"Lilyspark," Moonflower meowed warningly, shaking her head. "That's enough. Don't pull pranks on the kits."

"Oh, come on. He's not hurt," Lilyspark replied breezily, flicking her tail. "Anyway, I should probably get going. It's getting a bit too crowded in here and I wanted to go hunting. I'll see you all later, I guess."

She turned around and pushed her way out of the nursery, followed soon after by Bluefur. Nobody else came, and Lilyspark guessed that her parents and Thistleclaw had decided to stay with Snowfur for a while longer. Together, the two sisters padded toward the gorse tunnel, intent on heading out for an afternoon hunt. Just as they were about to reach the exit, they were called back by Thrushpelt, who was bounding over to them from the other side of the clearing.

"Hey, you two. Want to go hunting?" Thrushpelt greeted them. His question was directed at both cats, but Lilyspark couldn't help noticing that his gaze was entirely fixated on Bluefur.

_Looks like Snowfur isn't the only one with a cat padding after her, _Lilyspark thought, biting back a laugh.

"I think we were just planning on going by ourselves today. Maybe next time," Bluefur answered quickly, turning around and guiding Lilyspark to the gorse tunnel. "See you later, Thrushpelt."

Lilyspark just shook her head and cast an apologetic look at her former mentor over her shoulder. The sandy-gray tom looked crestfallen, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. It wasn't really her problem either way if Bluefur wanted him as a mate or not, but Thrushpelt was a nice cat and she hoped that he would find someone to be happy with someday.

"That was a bit cold," she remarked to Bluefur once they were further out of earshot.

Bluefur's neck fur rose and she rounded on her younger sister, her blue eyes blazing. "Don't you start with that!" she snarled. "I've already got Rosetail pestering me about becoming mates with him, I don't need you doing it too!"

Lilyspark took a step back, flinching. "Alright, alright, calm down," she meowed.

"Sorry," Bluefur grumbled, a bit more calmly this time. "It's just annoying, that's all."

"Look, I get that, but you don't need to take it out on me," Lilyspark snapped back. "I wasn't even going to say anything about you being mates with him. Personally, I don't care one way or another. Just that it wouldn't have done any harm to let him come hunting with us. He's my friend, you know."

"It's fine," her sister meowed, exhaling slowly. "Just forget it."

"Sure thing," Lilyspark muttered, rolling her eyes. _Honestly, the way she's acting, anyone would think I stuck thorns in her pelt! _

The two sisters continued on their way in silence for several moments, the air between them crackling with tension due to their earlier argument. Lilyspark didn't make any attempt to strike up a conversation again, and she guessed that Bluefur wasn't in the mood to speak to her either. To try to distract herself, she allowed her eyes to wander around, taking in the sights and scents of the newleaf season.

A mouse scurried across her path. Quickly, Lilyspark dropped into a crouch and began creeping towards it, keeping her pawsteps light. Before the creature had time to sense her, she leaped, pinning it down with her claws and sinking her teeth into its neck. Sitting up, she buried the mouse under a small pile of dirt to collect later.

"Not bad," Bluefur remarked.

"Who cares?" Lilyspark replied harshly, still not looking at her sister in the eye.

Bluefur frowned. "Look, if this is about earlier–"

"Drop it," Lilyspark interrupted. "Isn't that what you wanted to do anyway?"

Bluefur opened her mouth to respond, then evidently thought better of it and kept walking instead. For a moment, Lilyspark was tempted to walk in the other direction and go hunting alone. After a few heartbeats, however, she let out a growl of annoyance and turned to follow her sister. When she caught up, Bluefur was stalking a robin that was busy pecking at some seeds on the ground. As she watched, the blue-gray warrior pounced, slicing the robin's neck open with her claws.

"That should be enough to feed at least the kits," Bluefur grunted. Lilyspark just ignored her.

Her sister frowned at her. "Are you still mad?"

"No," Lilyspark snapped. "You're just annoying and I wish you would shut up."

"Lilyspark, look, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," Bluefur meowed, exhaling. "Things are just stressful right now, that's all. I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

"I don't care," Lilyspark meowed irritably. She knew she was being mean, but she wasn't in the mood to speak to her sister right now. "If I knew you were going to be in such a pleasant mood today, I would have just gone by myself."

"You're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself," Bluefur shot back, scowling.

_Here we go again, _she thought, rolling her eyes. _Well, this time I'm ending it before it begins. _

Turning around, Lilyspark stalked off in another direction, leaving Bluefur behind. A few heartbeats later, however, the sound of pawsteps told her that her sister had decided to follow her anyway. Scowling, she spun around and glared at the blue-gray molly, who took a step back.

"You do realize that I was leaving because I was planning on hunting _alone_, right?" she asked waspishly.

"Lilyspark, I said I was sorry. What more do you want me to say?" Bluefur asked exasperatedly.

"What do I want you to say? Nothing. How about you learn not to bother cats who clearly want nothing to do with you?" Lilyspark snapped.

She saw her sister's eyes flash with hurt and immediately felt guilty. For the most part, Bluefur had always been the cat she was closest with and she would never dream of not wanting her nearby. But two moons of keeping her temper under control was starting to take its toll on her, and it was all she could do to resist the urge to claw the fur off of all her Clanmates as it was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," she murmured, lowering her gaze. "I guess today hasn't really been a good day for me...or these past few moons, really."

"It's alright," Bluefur meowed gently, placing her tail on Lilyspark's shoulder. "Why don't I catch us a nice squirrel or something to share before we continue hunting? I'm sure we could both use some food right about now."

"Sure, alright," Lilyspark agreed, relaxing.

Taking a seat, she stretched out her legs as she turned to watch Bluefur scanning the forest, her ears and nose alert for any sign of fresh-kill. It was still fairly light out, so they had plenty of time to eat and hunt before they had to return home. If they were lucky, they might even be able to stock up the fresh-kill pile. For now, however, Lilyspark was content just to enjoy the warm sunlight and watch her sister hunt.

* * *

By the time Lilyspark and Bluefur returned to the camp with their jaws full of prey, Whitekit was already asleep. The two sisters deposited their load in the fresh-kill pile before taking a piece each over to where the warriors shared their meals. Rosetail and Goldenflower were sharing a thrush, and they waved Lilyspark and Bluefur over when they spotted them.

"Lilyspark, Bluefur, come eat with us!" Rosetail called out.

"Coming, Rosetail," Bluefur called back.

Lilyspark took a seat in between Goldenflower and Bluefur, taking a bite out of the rabbit she had picked. She ate in silence for several heartbeats, tuning out the sound of her Clanmates' conversations. While she was eating, her mind wandered over to Whitekit, sleeping peacefully in the nursery with his mother. It would be quite a while until he could eat fresh-kill, but she knew he would be well-fed on Snowfur's milk.

_I wonder what his favorite fresh-kill is going to be, _she mused, taking another bite.

A nudge from Goldenflower interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, Lilyspark realized that Rosetail was looking back at her expectantly, clearly waiting for an answer of some sort.

"Sorry, did you say something?" she asked apologetically. _I really need to stop getting lost in thought all the time. _

"It's fine. I was just wondering if there's anyone you had your eye on," Rosetail meowed, looking amused.

Lilyspark flicked her tail dismissively and shook her head. She wasn't completely opposed to the idea of having a mate the way Bluefur seemed to be, but none of the other cats in ThunderClan seemed particularly appealing. Not that there was anything wrong with them, of course; she simply didn't think that they would make good mates. Her main concern was fighting for her Clan; anything to do with having a mate and kits could wait.

"Not really," she meowed breezily. "I don't really want a mate or kits. Too much work if you ask me."

"I second that," Bluefur agreed.

"Well, I want kits someday," Goldenflower spoke up, a wistful look coming over her eyes. "They're so cute and the queens always look so happy. I want to know what that feels like too."

"Really?" Rosetail asked eagerly, turning to face the golden molly. "Are there any toms you've got your eye on right now?"

It was obvious that the two cats would be talking for quite some time, so Lilyspark decided to go back to eating her meal in silence. She was beginning to understand why Bluefur had been so irritated with her earlier. If the gray tabby was always this invested in other cats' personal lives, Lilyspark was almost tempted to avoid speaking to her again forever. Of course, she would never actually do so, but it was an option.

Later that evening, Lilyspark curled up in her nest on the edge of the den. As she settled herself down, she noticed that Thistleclaw's nest was empty and wondered if he was spending the night in the nursery with Snowfur. Letting out a yawn, she stretched her paws out in front of her before closing her eyes. The Clan was eating well, Thistleclaw had (temporarily, at least) stopped being an arrogant pain, and Whitekit was happy and healthy. Aside from her quarrel with Bluefur, all in all, it had been a good day.


	15. Stories

Snowfur had always been an energetic warrior. No matter what, she always seemed to be on the move, whether that meant hunting, assisting with battle training, or going on patrols. The only time she ever seemed to be resting was when it was time to go to bed. For this reason, Lilyspark and the rest of her family had worried that the stress of being confined to the camp all day with a kit would be too much for her to handle.

Admittedly, she had fared better than they had expected. But now, as Lilyspark watched Snowfur tearing at the bracken surrounding her nest, she knew her sister needed to get some fresh air soon. If someone didn't take her out before sunhigh, Whitekit would end up sleeping on the nursery floor for the evening.

"Long day?" Lilyspark asked sympathetically.

"You could say that," Snowfur grumbled, dropping her head onto her paws. "Why doesn't Thistleclaw have to stay here? He's Whitekit's father."

"Well, he can't really do much aside play with Whitekit at the moment," she pointed out. "Besides, you should be glad that he isn't stuck here. Can you imagine what it would be like if Thistleclaw had den fever? StarClan, have mercy on us all if that happens."

"You're probably right," Snowfur agreed, sighing. "I just wish I could get out of the camp once in a while."

"Me too!" Tigerkit piped up from his nest. Lilyspark chuckled as the dark tabby kit bounded over to them. "I want to go outside too. I'll be the forest goes on forever. Right, Lilyspark? Isn't the forest really big?"

"Yes, it is," she purred. "But I don't think it stretches on forever."

At that moment, Bluefur pushed her way inside the den, a clump of dog fur in her jaws. Lilyspark wondered where she had picked it up from. Had her sister been fighting another dog? A quick glance at her pelt quickly dispelled this theory, so she assumed the fur had been blown over by the wind.

"Here, I thought Whitekit could play with this when he wakes up," Bluefur meowed, dropping the clump of fur at Snowfur's paws.

"Thanks, Bluefur," Snowfur purred gratefully.

"Snowfur was just telling us about how she's so dreadfully glum being stuck here all day," Lilyspark informed her older sister, dodging Snowfur's paw as the white-furred queen attempted to strike her.

"Is that so?" Bluefur asked, looking torn between sympathy and amusement. "Well, why don't we go for a short walk? You can stretch your legs and Whitekit can stay here in the nursery with the other queens while we're gone."

Snowfur glanced at her son hesitantly. "I–I shouldn't," she meowed quickly. "What if he wakes up and gets hungry while I'm gone? I need to be around to feed him."

"Come on, Snowfur," Robinwing coaxed from her own nest. "Whitekit will be just fine. If he wakes up before you and Bluefur get back, he can have some of my milk."

"There, you see? Whitekit will be _fine_, Snowfur," Bluefur meowed, and Lilyspark could tell she was trying hard not to roll her eyes. "And we won't be gone long. You'll be back before anyone even notices you've left."

"Go on," Lilyspark meowed encouragingly. "If you stay here any longer, I think you'll start eating your nest. I'll keep Whitekit company while you're out."

Snowfur hesitated for a few more heartbeats, then nodded and allowed Bluefur to lead her out of the nursery. As soon as her sister's back was turned, Lilyspark shook her head in disbelief. How many different reasons could Snowfur think of to fuss over Whitekit? It was as if she thought he would disappear into thin air if she took her eyes off of him for too long. If being a mother was this anxiety-inducing, she would happily forgo ever having kits of her own.

"You alright there, Lilyspark?" Leopardfoot asked, looking amused.

"Yeah, I'm great," Lilyspark answered, shaking her head. "Snowfur is just..."

"It comes with being a mother," the black-furred molly meowed knowingly. "When you have someone who depends so completely on you, it's hard not to worry about everything that might go wrong. Especially with kits because they're so small and weak. There have been too many stories of kits who were crushed when their mothers accidentally rolled on them...kits who were snatched away by a fox or a badger...kits eating the wrong plant and dying of poisoning..."

"That's awful!" Lilyspark exclaimed, shuddering. _No wonder Snowfur is so paranoid. _

"It is," Robinwing agreed, curling her tail protectively around Brindlekit and Frostkit. "Fortunately, those incidents don't happen often. Still, though. One kit's death is too many in my opinion."

Lilyspark was surprised that they were talking so openly about death in front of Tigerkit. When she looked around, however, she realized that the dark tabby kit was nowhere to be seen. With a start, she noticed that the dog fur was missing as well. She was about to warn Leopardfoot when she saw the content, unconcerned expression on the older molly's face. Clearly, she already had an idea as to where Tigerkit had disappeared to.

"Look at me! I'm attacking a dog!" Tigerkit's voice yowled from outside the nursery.

_Found him, _Lilyspark thought, chuckling to herself.

Leopardfoot shook her head fondly. "He'll be a warrior in no time."

Lilyspark decided that now probably wasn't the best time to tell Leopardfoot that she had once imagined a world in which Tigerkit was named Sparklekit. Not for the first time, she was wondering if perhaps she wasn't entirely right in the head.

A soft meow from her left side caught her attention. Glancing down, she saw that Whitekit had opened his eyes and was blinking around sleepily. Lilyspark purred fondly when she noticed a small clump of bracken that had gotten itself stuck to his fur. Gently, so as not to hurt him, she reached over and plucked it out between her teeth. The little white tom looked up at her, then yawned as he stretched his paws out in front of him.

"Hey there," she meowed cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Whitekit meowed, nodding.

"Snowfur's out on a walk right now, but she's coming back soon. Tigerkit's outside if you want to play with him," Lilyspark told him. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you until your mother gets back, so if you go outside, don't go wandering off."

"Okay." Still blinking sleep from his eyes, Whitekit rose to his paws and tottered unsteadily out of the nursery.

Lilyspark shook her head and stood up as well. "I should probably go outside and make sure they don't get into any trouble. I'm sure Tigerkit won't hurt him, but if anything happens to Whitekit, Snowfur will probably never let me watch him again," she joked.

She padded outside, taking a seat in a shaded area just outside the entrance as she watched Tigerkit and Whitekit play-fighting. The tabby kit was considerably larger than his littermate, and Lilyspark stiffened when she saw Tigerkit pin Whitekit down. Almost immediately, however, she relaxed again as he got off, allowing Whitekit to gain the upper hand. From there on, the two kits rolled about playfully, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world.

Despite herself, Lilyspark couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy as she looked at the two kits playing happily together. Once, a long time ago, she had been just as carefree. Now, however, it seemed that her days were filled with endless patrols and border skirmishes. She wasn't one to complain; she knew it was an honor to serve her Clan as a warrior. Lilyspark just wished that she could find the time to play again as she had when she was a kit.

_Then again, I'd probably get bored of the games pretty quickly, _she realized, twitching her ear.

Finally, Tigerkit raced over to her, followed closely by Whitekit. "We're tired," the dark tabby announced. "Tell us a story."

"Please?" Whitekit added, looking at her hopefully.

Lilyspark laughed. "Of course, little ones. Come on inside and get yourselves comfortable, and I'll see if I know any good ones."

Turning around, she walked back inside the nursery and settled herself down on the stone floor. Whitekit bounded back over to Snowfur's nest while Tigerkit settled in with Leopardfoot. Once they had gotten themselves comfortable, Lilyspark began to rack her brains for any good story ideas. Eventually, she settled on one that had always been a favorite of hers–the tale of the ancient Clans.

"Long ago," Lilyspark began, well aware of the way Whitekit and Tigerkit's gazes were fixated on her. "Before the time of Thunderstar, Riverstar, Windstar, and Shadowstar, before StarClan itself, there lived three ancient Clans. The warriors in these Clans had fangs sharp enough to pierce through bones and claws that could slice open rocks. They were known as LeopardClan, LionClan, and TigerClan."

At the mention of TigerClan, Tigerkit's eyes brightened. "Am I named after TigerClan?"

"Perhaps," Lilyspark replied. "Anyway, as I said before, the three ancient Clans were known as TigerClan, LeopardClan, and LionClan. LionClan warriors had long golden manes while LeopardClan warriors had spots as dark as the night. And TigerClan had jet-black stripes. It is said that TigerClan warriors got their stripes after being forced to spend a moon in darkness as punishment for stealing a LionClan kit."

As she continued on with her story, Lilyspark felt a twinge of contentment. It was a beautiful newleaf day; the sun was peeking in through the entrance to the nursery, warming the inhabitants. Whitekit was staring at her with rapt attention, while Tigerkit appeared to have fallen asleep. She could have stayed there forever, recounting ancient tales that had been passed on for generations before she was born.

It wasn't until Lilyspark paused to take a breath that she noticed the shadow that had fallen over the nursery.

* * *

Whatever damage had been done to Snowfur's body by the monster, Featherwhisker had covered it up by the time the Clan was ready for her burial. Her expression was peaceful and her pelt was sleek and unmarked. Indeed, if Lilyspark hadn't known any better, she would have assumed that her sister had decided to take a nap in the middle of the camp and someone had played a prank and decorated her pelt with flowers. Admittedly, this was a rather strange thought to be having at her sister's burial, but she didn't know what to think, so she was content to let her mind wander wherever it pleased.

_How can she be gone? She was just here this morning! _

Part of Lilyspark wanted to believe that her family was playing a cruel prank and that Snowfur would pop up any moment now, laughing. But as she took in the grief-filled expressions of Moonflower and Sunstar, the blank stare of Bluefur, and the raw, unadulterated rage of Thistleclaw, she knew it wasn't a prank. Snowfur was dead. She was dead, and Whitekit was without his mother now.

_All because we wanted her to take a walk, _Lilyspark thought bitterly. _We thought we were doing what was best–wasn't that enough? _

She wondered if Snowfur had felt any pain when the monster hit her. Was her death instantaneous, or had she managed to hold on for at least a little while longer? For her sake, Lilyspark hoped it was the first. A quick death was always better than a long, drawn-out one, at least in her opinion.

At last, it was time for Snowfur to be buried. Unable to watch, Lilyspark turned and padded away to the warriors' den as the elders carried her sister's body out of the camp. Bluefur was already asleep in her nest by the time she arrived, and Lilyspark curled up in her own immediately as well. Try as she might, however, she couldn't seem to make herself fall asleep, her mind plagued with images of Snowfur's limp, lifeless body.

If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed that the absence of snores from Bluefur's nest meant that she wasn't the only one lying awake.


	16. Coping Methods

"Tawnyspots, may I go on the sunhigh hunting patrol?" Lilyspark asked.

The sun had risen five times since Snowfur had been killed on the Thunderpath. Since then, Lilyspark had spent nearly every waking minute outside of the camp, joining as many hunting and border patrols as possible. When there weren't any patrols to join, she would offer to gather fresh bedding for the elders or collect herbs for Featherwhisker. She was tired, admittedly, but she needed a way to cope with the loss of her sister, and she had found it in throwing herself fully into her duties as a warrior.

"Are you sure?" Tawnyspots asked, looking at her in concern. "You've just come back from the dawn patrol, and I know you were on the twilight patrol last night. You must be exhausted."

"I'm fine," Lilyspark insisted. "I'll rest when I get back."

It was a lie and both of them knew it, but Tawnyspots merely nodded and replied, "Very well."

"Thank you," she meowed, dipping her head respectfully.

As she was about to turn to join the rest of the patrol–consisting of Stormtail, Dappletail, and Thrushpelt–at the gorse tunnel, the ThunderClan deputy called out, "Wait a moment, Lilyspark."

"Yes? What is it?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

"When you get back, I need you to speak to Bluefur," the gray tabby meowed, a grim expression on his face. "I know she's been upset about losing Snowfur, but she hasn't gone on any patrols or even really left the camp since she died. I can't have any of my warriors becoming liabilities."

"Don't you think you're being a little unfair?" Lilyspark asked, frowning. "You said it yourself, she's upset about losing Snowfur. Is it really a surprise that she doesn't feel up to doing her usual warrior duties?"

Tawnyspots shook his head. "Loss is a part of Clan life," he growled. "Snowfur's death was a tragic accident. But Bluefur seems to be the only one out of you, Moonflower, Sunstar, and Thistleclaw who hasn't moved on. I don't think she's even trying."

Lilyspark hesitated for a few heartbeats, averting her gaze to the ground. In truth, she knew that Bluefur had been neglecting her duties, forcing her Clanmates to pick up the slack. Due to this, as well as the fact that she herself was rarely in the camp these days, Lilyspark rarely crossed paths with her older sister anymore. But she couldn't help feeling sympathetic at the same time. Perhaps Bluefur simply didn't know how to cope with losing Snowfur.

Shaking her head to clear it, she replied, "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not sure how much help I can be."

"All I ask is that you try," Tawnyspots meowed calmly. He flicked his tail and added, "Now, I think I've kept you long enough, so go on and join the rest of the patrol. They look ready to go anyway."

She nodded and turned around, padding over to join the rest of the hunting patrol at the gorse tunnel. The three cats meowed a quick greeting to her as she fell in line behind Thrushpelt. Pausing briefly to give her chest fur a lick, Lilyspark followed her Clanmates out of the camp and into the forest. She tasted the air for any sign of prey, but the only scents she could detect were already stale. If they were going to find any fresh-kill, they would have to venture further into the woods.

_Then again, that's what hunting patrols are for, _Lilyspark thought to herself.

"Where should we go, Stormtail?" Dappletail asked. Lilyspark guessed that the blue-gray tom must be leading the patrol, or perhaps Dappletail was simply asking him because he was her mate.

"We'll head towards Fourtrees and make our way to Twolegplace," Stormtail decided.

"Good idea," Thrushpelt agreed. "And we'd better check to make sure none of the other Clans have decided to 'accidentally' stray over the border."

Stormtail nodded and turned to lead the patrol in the direction of Fourtrees. As they padded through the forest, Lilyspark kept her senses pricked, alert for any sign of prey lurking in the bushes. A robin landed on a branch high above her head, but she didn't feel like making an attempt to go after it, so she decided to just let it be. Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by Thrushpelt, who frowned at her.

"You could catch that robin, you know," her former mentor meowed. "The Clan needs all the prey it can get."

"I know," Lilyspark meowed defensively. "But I don't like heights. You know that."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to climbing sooner or later," Thrushpelt lectured her. "What are you going to do if something goes wrong and you _have _to catch birds?"

"That would never happen," Lilyspark scoffed.

"It hasn't happened _yet_," he replied. "Who's to say it won't?"

"Because it's completely ridiculous," she replied incredulously. "There's no way _every _single animal in the forest except the birds will suddenly disappear one day. Where would they even go? Or do you think they would just vanish into thin air?"

"We're wasting time," Stormtail meowed irritably. "If you two are going to stand there bickering all day, we'll continue the patrol without you."

"Very well," Thrushpelt meowed, frowning at Lilyspark. "But the next time we come across a piece of prey, I expect you to at least make an effort to go after it. I taught you better than that."

Lilyspark dug her claws into the ground. "You know what? _Fine!_" she snarled. "I'll get the stupid robin if it means _so _much to you."

Whirling around, she stormed over to the tree where the robin had perched itself and hooked her claws into the bark. Careful not to make any noise, Lilyspark slowly made her way up the trunk until she had reached the red-chested bird's branch. Slowly, she climbed onto the branch and crouched down, vividly aware of the way the wind was ruffling her fur. Taking a deep breath, she lunged forward and pinned the robin down, biting hard into its neck. With her trophy clutched firmly in her jaws, she leaped down from the branch, landing safely on the forest floor.

"Satisfied now?" she asked sarcastically, glaring at Thrushpelt.

Her former mentor nodded. "Well done," he meowed.

"Fox-heart," she muttered under her breath, scowling at her former mentor. She had half a mind to spit on the robin but managed to restrain herself from doing so.

"It was a good catch," Dappletail told her.

"Thanks," Lilyspark muttered. Without even bothering to look at Thrushpelt, she buried her catch and stalked off.

By the time they reached Fourtrees, Lilyspark was still refusing to acknowledge the sandy-gray warrior, although she had hunted well. She had caught two squirrels, a mouse, and three voles so far. The rest of the patrol had fared well themselves, and Lilyspark knew the Clan would be eating well that night.

_Well, except for _her_, _she thought, her mind wandering over to Bluefur.

Even though she had agreed to talk to her, Lilyspark still didn't know what she was going to say to her sister later. For that matter, she didn't even know if Bluefur would _want _to talk to her. The older molly had barely acknowledged their _parents_ since Snowfur's death, choosing instead to spend her time brooding alone. Lilyspark figured it wouldn't go over well if she tried to lecture Bluefur about neglecting her duties. It didn't seem like it was really her place to say anything either, and she wondered why Tawnyspots hadn't just gone to talk to Bluefur himself.

_Maybe he thinks she'll handle it better coming from me? _Lilyspark mused.

Another robin landed on the top branch of one of the massive oak trees surrounding the sacred Gathering land. Lilyspark didn't feel much like climbing again, but she wasn't in the mood to receive another lecture from Thrushpelt either, so with a resigned sigh, she padded over to the oak and began hoisting herself up. Keeping her eyes trained on her prize, the white-furred warrior slowly clawed her way along the trunk, taking extra care not to look down.

_All of this climbing had better be worth it, _she thought irritably.

After what felt like moons, Lilyspark finally reached the top branch. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself up until she was seated safely a few paces away from the robin. At the last possible second, it finally noticed her, but it was too late by then. Reaching out with her right forepaw, she slashed her claws over the bird's throat, killing it instantly.

"Great," Lilyspark muttered to herself, gripping her catch tightly in her jaws. "Now, if I could just get back down..."

Careful not to drop the robin, she turned herself so that her tail was pointed toward the ground and began to make her way down the trunk. It was a painfully slow process, but after a while, Lilyspark could finally see the waiting figures of her Clanmates growing larger. She was almost tempted to wave at them but refrained, not wanting to take the risk of losing her grip and falling the rest of the way. Once she was just a few tail-lengths off the ground, she allowed herself to drop, landing on the forest floor with a thud.

_Well, that was more graceful of a landing than when I caught that blackbird during my warrior assessment, _Lilyspark thought to herself in amusement.

"Well done!" Thrushpelt purred, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Lilyspark snapped her head around to face him. "What? I just–"

"Lilyspark," Dappletail interrupted, staring at her with wide eyes. "Do you realize what you just did? You made it all the way to the top of one of the Great Oaks."

"I did?" she asked, frowning. Slowly, however, the realization finally hit her and she felt a spark of excitement. "I did! I made it all the way to the top!"

"You did well," Stormtail admitted. It was the first time he had spoken to her willingly all day.

Thrushpelt took a deep breath. "Lilyspark," he meowed seriously. "Do you know why I made you go after the robin earlier?"

"Er...because the Clan needs food?" Lilyspark answered, staring at her mentor in confusion. _What's he getting at now? _

"That was part of the reason," her former mentor acknowledged, twitching his ear. "But it was also because I needed you to prove to yourself that you could do it."

Lilyspark just stared at him in confusion.

Sensing her bewilderment, Thrushpelt continued, "I know you're afraid of heights, Lilyspark, and you've done well so far, all things considered. But every time you've been faced with a choice between going after a potential catch and staying on the ground, you almost always choose the second option. You spend so much time worrying about falling and thinking about how much you hate climbing that you won't even try. _I _know you can overcome your fear and so does everyone else, but if you insist on running away all the time instead of confronting it yourself, you'll never realize it yourself."

"I...guess that makes sense," Lilyspark agreed, nodding. She let out a sigh. "Sorry for being a brat earlier. I just..."

Thrushpelt rested his tail gently on her shoulder. "Apology accepted."

By the time they arrived back at the camp, it was nearly time for the sunset patrols to depart. All four of them were sore and tired, but their jaws were filled with enough fresh-kill to last at least three days. Lilyspark padded through the gorse tunnel with her head held high. She hadn't caught the most prey–that honor went to Dappletail–but she had done exceptionally well.

Tawnyspots was sitting by the fresh-kill pile when they went to deposit their load. "Good job, all of you," he meowed approvingly. "Take a piece each and enjoy yourselves."

Despite herself, Lilyspark felt her shoulders sag with relief. After being out of the camp nearly all day, she had to admit that it would be nice to relax for a while. But, she promised herself, she wouldn't allow herself to rest for long. She would take the rest of the evening off and get a proper night's sleep, but she would be out at dawn again. Perhaps, if she was lucky, Bluefur might even want to join her.

"And Lilyspark!" Tawnyspots called out as she turned to walk away, carrying her pigeon with her. "Don't forget what we talked about earlier."

_Oh, right. _Lilyspark had forgotten all about the deputy's request. Dipping her head respectfully, she replied, "Of course, Tawnyspots."

Turning around, she scanned the clearing for her sister. There she was, seated just outside the warriors' den as she always seemed to be these days. She was utterly alone, which Lilyspark decided was a good thing. At least this way, they wouldn't be overheard. Trying to plan out what she was going to say, she started to head over to join the blue-furred molly, only to be intercepted by Thistleclaw.

"Lilyspark," he greeted her.

"Thistleclaw," she replied warily. They had promised to put up with each other for Snowfur's sake, but now that she was dead, Lilyspark didn't know if the agreement still held up. "What do you want?"

"I saw the prey you brought back. You did well," the spiky-furred warrior meowed smoothly.

Now Lilyspark was even more confused. In all her life, she had never heard Thistleclaw willingly praise anyone except Snowfur. It almost seemed as though he thought he would spontaneously combust if he gave anyone a compliment. He certainly never had any kind words for _her_, so what was he playing at now?

"Er...well, thanks," Lilyspark answered finally. "That's...unusually nice of you to say."

Thistleclaw nodded. "What do you say we go hunting tomorrow?" he suggested. There was a moment's pause before he added, "Together, I mean."

"No thanks," she answered as soon as she had recovered from the shock. "I think I'll just go by myself. See you later, though."

Eager to escape the awkward conversation, Lilyspark pushed her way past the spiky-furred tom and walked the rest of the way over to where Bluefur was sitting. She placed the pigeon on the ground and took a seat beside her sister, but if Bluefur was at all aware of her presence, she didn't say anything. A few moments of silence passed before Lilyspark cleared her throat, causing the blue-gray warrior's head to turn towards her.

"Oh, Lilyspark," Bluefur meowed flatly. She didn't sound annoyed, but she didn't sound particularly excited to see her either. "I didn't know you were there."

"It's fine," Lilyspark answered, pushing the pigeon over to the older warrior. "Want to share this?"

"No thanks," her sister meowed, turning her head away. "I'm not very hungry."

"Okay," Lilyspark meowed, trying to decide how to begin the conversation Tawnyspots had insisted she had with her older sister. "Bluefur, I wanted to–"

"Not now," Bluefur interrupted, still not looking at her. "Please, Lilyspark, I just want to be alone right now."

Realizing that there was no way she could talk to Bluefur in this state, Lilyspark merely nodded and picked up her pigeon, carrying it over to where Moonflower and Sunstar were sharing tongues. Out of habit, she glanced over her shoulder to see that Bluefur was still staring blankly ahead, her head resting on her paws. A pang of sorrow hit her and she turned away, not wanting to be witness to any more of her sister's misery.

_How am I supposed to help if she doesn't even let me speak to her? _


	17. Unexplained Changes

Just as she had promised herself, Lilyspark was out of the camp at dawn the following morning, accompanied by Goldenflower and Lionheart. As she pushed her way through the gorse tunnel, she passed by Adderfang, who was guarding the camp entrance. She nodded to the older warrior as she walked by, receiving a brief flick of the ear in return. Lilyspark paused for a heartbeat just outside the camp entrance, stretching her legs out behind her. The dawn air felt cool and refreshing after spending the night surrounded by warm bodies in the warriors' den, and she was looking forward to spending the morning patrolling the borders.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked, turning around to face Lionheart and Goldenflower.

"In a moment, Lilyspark," Lionheart meowed, looking amused. "We still need to wait for Thistleclaw."

"Thistleclaw?" Lilyspark repeated, staring at her friend in bewilderment. "Is he even on the dawn patrol? I thought it was just the three of us."

"It was at first. He volunteered to join us last night," Goldenflower explained.

Normally, Lilyspark would have either groaned in annoyance or made some sort of sarcastic comment about how "delighted" she was that her sister's former mate would be joining them. Today, however, she felt more confused than irritated. She still remembered their odd confrontation the previous day, when Thistleclaw had invited her to go hunting with him. Of course, she had rejected him immediately, but she couldn't help wondering if her refusal had prompted him to offer to join the dawn patrol today.

_Don't be ridiculous, _Lilyspark scolded herself. _Thistleclaw wouldn't do that, would he? __He probably doesn't even care that you turned him down. _

Still, something about the spiky-furred warrior's behavior bothered her. Thistleclaw had to know that she would be on the patrol, yet he had still volunteered to join anyway. They didn't like each other; both of them had made that as clear as day. Most of the time, they made a conscious effort to stay as far away from each other as possible. Why was Thistleclaw suddenly showing so much interest in her–and, more importantly, why was he doing it so soon after Snowfur's death?

Maybe, just maybe, it was _because _of Snowfur's death that Thistleclaw was suddenly behaving so strangely. Perhaps he was grieving over the loss of his mate and wanted to seek solace in her because she was Snowfur's sister. But that didn't make much sense either. After all, Bluefur was Snowfur's kin as well, as was Moonflower, and Thistleclaw didn't seem interested in bonding with either of them. If anything, he seemed to despise Bluefur even _more _now, if that were at all possible.

Lilyspark didn't have any more time to ponder her Clanmate's behavior for, at that moment, Thistleclaw finally emerged from the gorse tunnel. His fur gleamed in the morning sunlight, indicating that he had just finished grooming himself. She waited for him to give her his customary sneer, but instead, the older warrior merely dipped his head to her in greeting.

"Good morning," he meowed. His voice was different too–deeper, more pleasant.

"Er...good morning," Lilyspark replied slowly.

"You're leading the patrol today?" Thistleclaw asked.

Lilyspark shook her head. "Goldenflower is," she meowed.

"Very well," Thistleclaw meowed, nodding. "Let's go, then."

The four cats started walking toward the RiverClan border, with Goldenflower taking the lead. Lilyspark allowed herself to fall to the back of the patrol, more confused by Thistleclaw's recent actions than ever. She had expected him to be back to his usual self by now, but instead, the gray and white warrior still seemed intent on–well, she wasn't sure what he wanted. Of course, she could always ask him, but she wasn't too keen on having _that _conversation with him–or any conversation at all, for that matter.

_Things were so much easier when he still acted as if he hated me, _Lilyspark thought bitterly. _But no, instead he has to be almost _nice_. What game is he trying to play? If Snowfur were here, she would..._

She shook her head to herself, forcing any thoughts of her dead sister to the back of her mind as a sharp pang began to pierce at her heart. Now wasn't the time to start dwelling on her loss. Her Clan needed her, and right now, she was supposed to be on a border patrol. Sorting out her conflicting emotions over Snowfur's death and Thistleclaw's sudden interest in her could wait until later.

* * *

Unfortunately, if Lilyspark had been hoping to forget about Thistleclaw's odd behavior, she was sadly disappointed. She spent the entire day out of the camp on various hunting and border patrols, and somehow, Thistleclaw was on every single one. By the time she was returning home along with the sunset hunting patrol, Lilyspark could barely restrain herself from clawing his fur out. The last thing she had wanted to do was spend the entire day with the cat she hated more than anyone in the forest, and she had just been forced to do exactly that.

Even worse, it wasn't as though she could report him because he _technically _hadn't done anything wrong. He was quite within his right to patrol with whoever he wanted, and Lilyspark knew that Sunstar and Tawnyspots would think that she was being immature if she complained about having to see Thistleclaw too often. A few moons ago, she probably would have done so anyway, but she had learned to pick her battles more carefully.

"So, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," Thistleclaw meowed to her as she deposited two squirrels in the fresh-kill pile.

"Yeah, I suppose, seeing as we live together," Lilyspark muttered. Deciding to test him, she added, "You must be pretty annoyed right now, I bet."

"What?" Thistleclaw stared at her, evidently confused. "Annoyed about what?"

"Well, just about the fact that we were forced to spend time with each other _all day _today," she explained. "I mean, talk about bad luck, right? Tawnyspots must have eaten a bad piece of fresh-kill last night to put us on so many patrols together."

"Yeah...really bad luck," the gray and white tom agreed, though there was a strange note to his voice that Lilyspark couldn't decipher.

"Right. Anyway, I'm going to see if the elders want anything to eat," she meowed.

Before Thistleclaw could respond, she picked up a thrush and hurried past him in the direction of the elders' den. Her mind was spinning. Thistleclaw had more or less confirmed that Tawnyspots had placed them on the same patrols all day purely by coincidence. Yet at the same time, Lilyspark couldn't help feeling suspicious. It seemed almost too convenient that she had just so happened to be stuck with him the very next day after she had rejected his offer to hunt together. She tried to tell herself that she was just being paranoid, but still, a lingering feeling of doubt still remained.

As she walked toward the elders' den, she was intercepted by Rosetail bounding over to her. Lilyspark took one look at the gleam in the tabby warrior's eyes and let out a silent groan. She had seen the same expression on Rosetail's face whenever she pestered Bluefur about getting together with Thrushpelt, and she could only imagine what her friend was going to say to her now. Rosetail was a wonderful cat, but she was a hopeless romantic and it frankly irritated Lilyspark to no end.

"Hey there, Lilyspark!" Rosetail greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello, Rosetail," Lilyspark meowed tiredly. _Please, for the love of StarClan, don't make some sort of remark about how Thistleclaw and I would make a cute couple! _

"I just saw you and Thistleclaw talking. What was that all about?" the gray tabby asked. "I think it's the first time I've seen the two of you have a conversation without bringing your claws out."

"You tell me," Lilyspark replied, flicking her tail. "He's been acting weird around me since yesterday. Did you know that he actually _invited _me to go hunting with him?"

"That _is _strange," Rosetail agreed. Realizing how it must have sounded, she quickly added, "Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to go hunting with you, of course. It's just that–"

"–Thistleclaw usually never wants to spend time with me," Lilyspark finished. She nodded. "Yeah, I know. I don't get it either."

"Huh. Well, why don't we share a piece of fresh-kill later?" her friend offered, evidently deciding to brush off her brother's apparent change in attitude. "Maybe we can convince Bluefur to join us for our meal later tonight."

At the mention of her other sister, all thoughts of Thistleclaw instantly left Lilyspark's mind. "Is she okay?"

Rosetail shook her head sadly. "She ate a little bit this morning while you were out on the dawn patrol, but it was just a small mouse and she didn't even finish half of it. Thrushpelt invited her to go on a walk with him, but she turned him down."

"Tawnyspots asked me to talk to her yesterday," Lilyspark admitted. "But when I tried, she didn't want to listen to me."

"I know," Rosetail murmured, a sorrowful look flashing in her eyes. "I'm really worried about her. Even Moonflower can't seem to get through to her, and you know how close they are. I wish we could do something to help her."

Lilyspark didn't answer. Of course, she wanted to help Bluefur through her grief more than anything. But try as she might, she couldn't think of anything she could do that would heal her sister's broken heart.

* * *

**Thistleclaw...what are you up to? **

**I mean, I know what he's up to since I'm the one writing the story. But...oh, never mind, you know what I'm getting at. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	18. Whispers

After a few more days had gone by with Thistleclaw constantly ending up on the same patrol as her every single time, Lilyspark became convinced that someone was trying to punish her. Whether it was Tawnyspots or StarClan, she wasn't entirely sure, but she was certain that _someone _had it out for her. One day had been strange enough, but there was no way that Tawnyspots would just happen to assign them to the same patrols every single day for multiple days in a row. That left only one explanation–that Thistleclaw himself had volunteered to join those patrols. And if Tawnyspots had allowed it...well, she wasn't sure what to think about that either.

_Why, though? _Lilyspark asked herself for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. _We hate each other, right? Of course. So why is he suddenly so interested in spending time with me? _

There was no way Thistleclaw actually liked her, so she doubted his interest in her was genuine. But that only made her feel even more anxious and confused. In all likelihood, he was planning some sort of cruel trick and was hoping to lure her into a false sense of security by pretending to be nice. She had no idea what that trick would be, but she suspected she knew the reason. Thistleclaw obviously blamed her for Snowfur's death in some way and wanted to get back at her.

_But then again, if that were true, wouldn't he be doing the same thing to Bluefur right now? _Lilyspark thought, realizing the flaw in her logic. _I mean, he did make it pretty clear that he definitely blames _her _for what happened to Snowfur. Maybe he just thinks I'm too stupid to see through him? No, he'd probably think the same thing about Bluefur too since we're pretty similar. But if that's not it, then what's going on? _

"Argh!" Lilyspark screamed, slamming her forepaw into the ground. "What is _wrong _with me?"

"Are you alright, dear?"

Jumping slightly, Lilyspark looked over to see Poppydawn gazing at her with a concerned expression on her face. As her mind finally came back down to earth, she realized that several more cats were staring at her as well. Even Bluefur had paused in her brooding to gape at her from outside the warriors' den. Feeling her pelt grow hot with embarrassment, she nodded sheepishly to Poppydawn.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Lilyspark meowed. Glancing down, she realized that she had kicked a layer of dust over the older molly's half-eaten rabbit. "Oh no–I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to–"

"No problem at all, dear. It's too tough to be any good anyway," Poppydawn meowed kindly.

"If you say so," Lilyspark murmured, still feeling a prickle of guilt nonetheless.

"Of course. And Lilyspark," Poppydawn meowed, looking at her seriously. "Try not to be too hard on yourself, okay? There's nothing wrong with you. Whatever's bothering you, I'm sure everything will be fine eventually."

"Thanks, Poppydawn," the white warrior replied softly. She wasn't sure if she believed that herself, but she was grateful for the older queen's comfort.

Deciding to go hunting again to clear her head, Lilyspark rose to her paws and walked toward the camp entrance. Just before she left, she checked around the camp to see if Thistleclaw was there. To her relief, the spiky-furred warrior was nowhere in sight, and she guessed that he was either out of the camp as well or taking a nap in the warriors' den.

_Finally, a bit of peace and quiet, _she thought.

She padded through the forest in the direction of Twolegplace, keeping her ears pricked for any sound of prey. A mouse scurried across her path, and Lilyspark made quick work of killing it. Giving a silent word of thanks to StarClan, she buried her catch underneath a pile of leaves before continuing on her way. She was still fairly close to the camp, so Lilyspark picked up her pace slightly. The last thing she wanted was for Thistleclaw to notice she was gone and decide to go looking for her.

_Wow, I really am becoming paranoid, _Lilyspark thought, laughing silently to herself even though there wasn't anything funny about the situation.

The white-furred warrior was nearly at the Twolegplace border when she ran into Moonflower and Sunstar, who were each carrying a squirrel. Momentarily forgetting about her issues with Thistleclaw, Lilyspark bounded over to greet her parents. She nudged her head affectionately against Moonflower's shoulder, feeling her mother's tongue rasp gently over her ears. Lilyspark moved over to touch noses with her father next, who rested his tail on her shoulder.

"Hi Moonflower, hi Sunstar," she greeted them cheerfully.

"Hello, dear," Moonflower meowed warmly. "What are you up to now?"

"I got bored being in the camp, so I decided to go hunting," Lilyspark answered. It wasn't _entirely _a lie since she had been growing restless, but she decided not to mention Thistleclaw's behavior.

However, her parents still looked worried. "Again?" her mother asked. "Lilyspark, you've been out of the camp almost all day. You must be tired."

"Not really," Lilyspark meowed truthfully. She was so preoccupied with Thistleclaw's sudden interest in her that she didn't have time to be tired. "I guess I just have a lot of stamina."

"Well...if you say so," Sunstar replied, looking at her in concern. "But Lilyspark, we just want to make sure that you're not pushing yourself too hard. It's admirable that you're so dedicated to serving your Clanmates, but everyone has their limits, and it seems that you're doing all you can to push yours."

"Tell us the truth, sweetheart," Moonflower meowed seriously. "How have you been coping recently? You know, with losing Snowfur."

"I've been coping fine. Doing so much is actually helping me a lot because it helps take my mind off of what happened," Lilyspark replied at once. She laughed sadly and added, "I guess Bluefur and I are opposites in that regard."

"I suppose you are," the silver tabby agreed, her eyes soft with sympathy. "Just make sure you're allowing yourself time to grieve properly, Lilyspark. Suppressing your emotions can be just as unhealthy as dwelling constantly on them."

"Don't worry, I will," she promised.

Her parents nodded. "We'll let you get back to your hunt," Sunstar meowed. "Try not to stay out too late, alright?"

"It's alright, I won't," Lilyspark called over her shoulder as she bounded away. "I've got to get back in time for the sunset patrol anyway. See you two back at the camp!"

As she walked through the forest, Lilyspark's mind kept wandering back to her mother's warning. She knew Moonflower meant well, but she didn't understand what she was trying to say. All she had ever tried to do was serve her Clan to the best of her ability, no matter what she might be going through. How could putting her grief aside for the good of her Clan possibly be unhealthy?

* * *

Lilyspark didn't have long to dwell on the conversation with her parents. As soon as she stepped inside the camp later that evening, she was met by a chorus of whispers and murmurs. This in itself wasn't unusual, so the white molly was perfectly content to just let it pass her by without saying anything. She soon changed her mind, however, when she caught her name being spoken by one of the gossipers.

"Are you sure it's true?"

"Yes, I'm positive. I saw it for myself."

"What in the name of StarClan?"

"What was _that_?"

"What exactly does Lilyspark think she's doing, making a move on him?"

"I'll bet she was just waiting for an opportunity to strike."

"Didn't take Thistleclaw long to forget about Snowfur, typical toms."

Lilyspark clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to shout and swear at her Clanmates. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. Someone–and she had a very shrewd idea who–was obviously spreading rumors about her, claiming that she was trying to make a move on Thistleclaw. She would have laughed aloud if she wasn't so disgusted and furious.

"He won't fall for it, will he?"

"Come on, there has to be some sort of mistake. Everyone knows Lilyspark hates him."

"Yeah, well she could just be desperate for a mate. You know how mollies can get sometimes."

"Maybe she'd let one of us move in on her if she's willing to go for Thistleclaw."

"Look, there she is now. Alone. I'll bet she's waiting for him to show up for her."

"She's just awful. How could she betray her sister like that? And so soon after she died too."

_Just ignore them, _she told herself. _You don't want to get in trouble for fighting in the middle of the camp. Pretend you don't hear them. _

Unfortunately, as she sat down to wait for the rest of the sunset patrol to finish their meals, the whispers only seemed to grow louder.


	19. Breaking Point

Lilyspark couldn't take it anymore.

No matter where she went, it felt as if the eyes of every single one of her Clanmates were watching her, judging her every action. Although she made it a point to avoid eye contact, the reproach and disapproval in their gazes burned into her pelt. Even worse, Thistleclaw was still making it a point to follow her around everywhere whenever possible, which Lilyspark knew wasn't doing her reputation any favors.

Worst of all was the constant whispering. They followed her around constantly, to the point where she was starting to have nightmares in which her Clanmates gossipped behind her back. The dreams escalated to the point that in one of them, she was being accused of plotting to seduce every tom in the Clan in order to rise to power–of course, that list didn't include her father, which was about the only thing Lilyspark could be grateful about. But the nightmare was so close to what was happening in real life that it wasn't much comfort at all. Going out hunting or patrolling alone offered some amount of reprieve, but of course, she couldn't stay away forever, so the whispers always found their way back.

Of course, the logical thing to do would have been to confront her Clanmates, but Lilyspark couldn't find it in herself to do so. The entire Clan seemed to be against her, and she knew they would never believe her if she told them that she wasn't interested in Thistleclaw at all. Poppydawn, Thrushpelt, and Lionheart seemed to be the only cats on her side. She couldn't even face her parents or her sister. Lilyspark knew that Moonflower and Sunstar were worried about her, but while she felt guilty for hurting them, she couldn't bear the thought of finding out that they, too, believed the rumors her Clanmates were spreading.

"I hate this Clan," Lilyspark muttered mutinously, dragging a squirrel she had caught back to the camp.

What angered her the most was when Stormtail joined in on spreading the rumors as well. Lilyspark didn't know much about the blue-gray tom since they had never been close, but she did know that he had abandoned her mother for Dappletail while Moonflower was recovering from a life-threatening wound. The fact that he had the nerve to assume moral superiority over her enraged Lilyspark almost as much as the fact that nobody seemed willing to call him out on his hypocrisy.

As she passed by Goldenflower, who was guarding the camp entrance, Lilyspark turned her head to avoid meeting her denmate's gaze. Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough and caught a glimpse of the golden-furred molly's disapproving glare out of the corner of her eye. No longer feeling hungry–not that she had much of an appetite, to begin with–Lilyspark padded into the camp and dropped her squirrel in the fresh-kill pile before retreating to a spot far away from the rest of her Clanmates.

And as always, the whispers started up again.

"Look at her."

"What's she doing, waiting for Thistleclaw to come so she can pounce on him?"

"They spend so much time together. I'll bet she's already expecting his kits."

"Moonflower must be so disappointed in her."

"Sunstar too. I can't imagine how he must feel, knowing his daughter turned out like _that_."

Lilyspark shut her eyes and dug her claws into the ground. _Shut up! Just shut up! _

Of course, if silent pleas could be ranked in terms of usefulness, they would fall somewhere between greencough and broken claws.

The entrance to the camp rustled, and Lilyspark opened her eyes to see Thistleclaw striding over to her, a large rabbit in his jaws. Hatred such as she had never felt before bubbled up inside of her at the sight of the spiky-furred warrior. It was _his _fault that this was happening to her. He had obviously started a rumor that she was either in love with him or at least stalking him, and like the gullible rats they were, her Clanmates had eaten up the lies like fat, juicy mice. In a flash, Lilyspark was on her paws, storming over to her Clanmate. She knew that she had promised herself not to start a confrontation in the middle of the camp anymore, but she couldn't stop herself. After spending the past quarter moon listening to her Clanmates spread vicious rumors about her, she had finally reached her breaking point.

"Lilyspark, I–" Thistleclaw began, but she cut him off.

"What in StarClan's name is your problem, Thistleclaw?" she spat. "I know we aren't friends or anything, but what right does it give you to destroy my reputation?"

"What?" The gray and white warrior looked confused, but Lilyspark didn't fall for it. "Lilyspark, I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that load of fox dung! You know _exactly _what I'm talking about!" she snarled, barely resisting the urge to slash her claws across the arrogant tom's face. "And if you're really as stupid as you look, then how about you listen to what our _dear _Clanmates have been whispering about me? And yeah, for all of those of you who have decided to tune into this conversation, I heard every word you said. Word of advice, if you want to gossip about someone behind their back, maybe learn a little about volume control or _don't do it right in bloody front of them!_"

By now, almost everyone in the camp had turned to stare at her. Lilyspark could see shame and embarrassment in the expressions of some of her Clanmates, but she didn't care. It was too late for them to rectify their mistakes now. Besides, the only reason they felt bad was that they had been caught. They certainly didn't feel any semblance of genuine remorse, of that she was absolutely certain.

Thistleclaw continued to stare at her, then shook his head. "Lilyspark, I didn't–"

She cut him off again. "Don't even try to lie."

"Actually, he's not lying," a small voice meowed from behind her.

Lilyspark turned around to see Rosetail standing a few paces away, a guilty look on her face. "What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

Rosetail hesitated for a moment, then meowed quietly, "I–I mean that Thistleclaw isn't the one who started the rumors about you. Actually, he didn't really have anything to do with it at all."

"Right," Lilyspark replied dubiously. "So if he didn't do it, then who did?"

"I...I think it's actually my fault," the tabby warrior admitted, staring down at her paws.

"_What?_" Suddenly, all of Lilyspark's anger toward Thistleclaw transferred onto Rosetail. "So you're telling me that this is all _your _fault? You're the one who started a rumor that I'm trying to get after my dead sister's mate?"

Rosetail flinched. "Lilyspark, please, I–"

"Save it, fox dung!" Lilyspark snarled, fury burning her from the inside out. "How _dare _you spread lies about me? I thought you were my friend, but clearly, I was wrong! You're just as bad as your stupid, good-for-nothing brother here! I guess the only decent one out of the three of you was Sweetpaw; it's a shame that she died and you two survived."

"Lilyspark!" Bluefur exclaimed from several tail-lengths away. It was the first time she had spoken to her in days. "That's not very nice. I'm sure–"

"Oh, shut up, Bluefur!" Lilyspark spat back. "This doesn't concern you. Why don't you go back to moping around and feeling sorry for yourself? At least you're good at that."

She saw her sister's eyes fill with hurt, but she was too angry to care. Turning her attention back to Rosetail, she resisted the urge to strike her now-former friend over the head. The ginger-tailed molly's eyes were glistening and wet, and there was a look of utter despair and shame on her face. Lilyspark refused to take any notice. It was Rosetail's own fault that she was feeling this way, she told herself.

"Lilyspark," the older molly pleaded. "I'm sorry, I–"

"You're _sorry?_" Lilyspark repeated, laughing derisively. "You've cost me my pride, my dignity, the respect of my Clanmates, done probably _irreparable _damage to my reputation, and all you can say is you're _sorry_?"

"If you would just let me explain–"

"I don't need to let you explain anything! You _admitted _to it just now! That's all I need to hear."

"But–" Rosetail protested, but Lilyspark cut her off again.

"Get out of my sight," she spat, lashing her tail. "Get out of my sight and don't _ever _speak to me again! I will _never _forgive you for this, Rosetail. You pretended to be my friend, but then you turned around and started spreading rumors about me. Why? Don't even answer that; whatever excuse you come up with won't be good enough anyway. You know, I never thought I would hate another cat more than I hate Thistleclaw, so congratulations. You've officially achieved the impossible."

Still fuming, she spun around and stormed toward the gorse tunnel. Just before exiting the camp, Lilyspark turned around to face her Clanmates one last time. Every single one of them was staring at her with a mixture of shock, disapproval, and guilt on their faces. The only exceptions were Thistleclaw, who merely looked bored, and her family, who were gazing at her with unimaginable sadness in their eyes. Normally, this would have been enough to calm her down, but not today.

"I'm going out," she snarled. "Alone. And if I find out that _any _of you rotten, worthless heaps of fox dung are following me, I _won't _be held responsible for my actions."

With that, she whirled around and stormed out of the camp. Lilyspark raced through the forest, nearly blinded by rage. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she would pay dearly for her behavior later. No matter how angry she was, speaking to her Clanmates in the way she had was grounds for punishment. She sent a few choice words in her conscience's direction, shutting it up instantly. It had been getting on her nerves anyway.

A shrew wandered into her path, which proved to be a costly mistake. In an instant, Lilyspark's claws slashed through its throat, spraying blood everywhere. But the white molly didn't stop there. She continued ripping and tearing the shrew until it was little more than a few scraps of fur, imagining that she was raking her claws through Rosetail and Thistleclaw's pelts. Finally, when she was too exhausted to continue any longer, she took a few deep breaths and stared down at the tattered remains of her catch.

_Oh, that's just bloody fantastic, _Lilyspark thought, growling furiously to herself. _The stupid thing is useless now. Can't very well take it back to the Clan in this state, even though it's more than those foxhearts deserve. _

She kicked the shrew a few tail-lengths to the side. If a patrol came by and found it lying there, they could figure out what to do with it. Quite frankly, it wasn't any of her concern.

As she began to come back to her senses, Lilyspark realized abruptly that she was standing next to the Thunderpath. When had she arrived here? Apparently, she had been running for a lot longer than she thought. She almost wanted to laugh at that. Slowly, however, another thought formed in her mind.

Snowfur had died here. She was standing just mere whisker-lengths away from the spot where her sister had been killed by a monster. Because of her death, Bluefur was a shell of herself, Moonflower and Sunstar had lost a daughter, Whitekit had lost his mother, and Thistleclaw had taken it upon himself to pursue Lilyspark. For what reason, she still didn't know, but the damage had been done anyway.

"I hate you," Lilyspark hissed, digging her claws into the earth. "I hate you, Snowfur."

She wasn't sure why she continued speaking after that–after all, it wasn't as if Snowfur were around to respond–but she did so anyway. And once she got started, she found that she couldn't stop.

"I _hate _you!" she screeched, slashing her claws into the dirty gray path. Several of them broke, but she hardly noticed. "You ruined everything! You weren't supposed to die! Did you know what was going to happen? Why didn't you _force _us to let you stay in the camp? If you were here, none of this would be happening! You're not supposed to be in StarClan, you're supposed to be here! You're supposed to be taking care of Whitekit, telling him stories and scolding him when he wakes up the elders! You're supposed to be making me and Bluefur sick by being all affectionate with Thistleclaw and then telling us that he's not as bad as we think! You're supposed to be _here! _But no, oh no, you just _had _to get yourself killed! Because that's exactly the sort of selfish cat that you are! Well, you know what? I will _never _forgive you, Snowfur! I–I–"

Grief so powerful it threatened to overwhelm her, grief that she hadn't allowed herself to feel since Snowfur's death, rose up inside Lilyspark before she could do anything to stop it. Feeling her throat close up, she shut her eyes as the first unbidden tears began to slide down her face.

"I miss you so much," Lilyspark whispered. "I wish you were still here."

* * *

**Lilyspark finally reached her breaking point...honestly, it was only a matter of time. **

**Responses to a few reviews: **

**Peaklog3727: I'm glad you enjoyed! Honestly, I don't really have a fixed schedule for updates. Most of the time, I just write whenever I have inspiration for a new chapter and whenever I finish is when it gets published. I try to update as frequently as possible, though. **

**JustToTalk: Yeah...having rumors spread about you is an absolutely shitty thing to go through on its own, but especially when you're also dealing with the death of a loved one _and _being stalked on top of it. **

**Kitty-Guardian Hootryd: You pretty much hit the nail right on the head. **

**Thanks for reading! **

**-TheShadowedWarrior**


	20. Storms

Bluefur paced back and forth in the middle of the camp, casting anxious glances at the dark clouds gathering in the sky. It had been several hours since Lilyspark had stormed out of the camp, and her sister still hadn't returned. A storm would be on its way soon, and if Lilyspark didn't come back in time, she would be stuck outside in the cold. She tried to reassure herself, telling herself that her little sister was a strong cat, but it didn't do much to comfort her. Anyone could see that Lilyspark wasn't in her right mind; Bluefur didn't want to think about what might happen to her if she ended up in danger now.

Unable to stop herself, she shot a glare over at Rosetail and Thistleclaw, who were sitting together outside the warriors' den. It was their fault that this was happening. Lilyspark was suffering because of their actions. Bluefur didn't know who she blamed more between the two of them. True, Thistleclaw had chosen to more or less stalk and harass Lilyspark, but Rosetail had been the one to start the rumors about her. While Bluefur thought Lilyspark had taken things a bit too far in telling Rosetail that she should have died instead of Sweetpaw, she would be lying if she said she didn't understand how her sister felt. Most of the time, Lilyspark would never say something so cruel to a friend, which just went to show how far over the edge the rumors had pushed her.

Thistleclaw's behavior was what confused her the most. She wasn't stupid; she knew all along that Lilyspark couldn't possibly be trying to make a move on him. Her sister had never shown any interest in having a mate before, and even if she had, Bluefur knew that she would never go for Thistleclaw. But why was _he _suddenly interested in her?

Bluefur shook her head to herself. Now wasn't the time to be worrying about Thistleclaw's inexplicable interest in her sister. Lilyspark was still missing; she needed to find her and bring her home. Shooting one last glare at Rosetail and Thistleclaw, she turned on her heel and marched over to Sunstar's den.

"Sunstar?" she called out softly. "May I come in?"

"Come in, Bluefur," Sunstar's voice called back.

She pushed her way through the curtain of lichen that draped over the entrance to the ThunderClan leader's den. Inside, she saw her parents sharing a juicy-looking vole. They glanced up when she entered the den, their expressions turning to concern when they saw the look on her face.

"Bluefur?" Moonflower meowed worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"I want to go look for Lilyspark," Bluefur told her mother.

At that, the worried expression in Moonflower's eyes deepened. "She hasn't come back yet? I thought for sure..."

"No," Bluefur meowed, shaking her head. "And it's not looking good out there. The weather, I mean. I want to go find her before she gets herself into trouble."

"Of course." It was Sunstar who spoke this time, rising out of his nest and shaking a few scraps of moss out of his pelt. "Of course, you may go look for her. We'll come along with you as well."

"Thanks," she meowed, feeling a pang of relief.

"I should organize another search party as well," her father continued. "That way, we'll have a better chance of finding her."

"No!" Bluefur meowed forcefully. Sunstar looked at her, clearly startled. "No, you can't do that. If they find Lilyspark first, then everything will go wrong! She's furious with them; you heard her earlier. She might never come home if they go off and bother her. Besides, it's _their _fault that she's missing anyway. They don't deserve to be anywhere _near _her right now."

Sunstar blinked slowly for a few heartbeats, then nodded. "Very well. I can see your point, Bluefur. We will go on this mission alone."

Relief flooded through her. "Thank you, Sunstar."

He nodded again. "Let's go. We don't have much time to waste."

Bluefur didn't waste any time. Turning on her heel, she raced out of the den and headed straight for the gorse tunnel, too worried about her sister to consider the wisdom of racing out into the forest on her own with a storm approaching. Before she could get out of the camp, however, she came to a stop as Rosetail's voice sounded from behind her. The molly sounded desperate, and as Bluefur turned around to face her, there was a pleading look in her eyes.

"What do you want?" she growled.

Rosetail flinched. "I–I heard what you were saying to Sunstar and Moonflower," she meowed quietly.

"So?" Bluefur asked harshly.

"I–I wanted to help you look for Lilyspark," the gray tabby meowed, looking at her hopefully.

"You? Why would you want to help us find her? So you can make her feel worse than you already have?" Bluefur snarled, baring her teeth at her denmate. "How dare you? You have _no _right to pretend as if you're sorry now! She never did anything to deserve what you did to her!"

"But it didn't happen the way you think it did!" Rosetail protested. Bluefur snorted disbelievingly. "I'm telling the truth, I swear! It–it _was _partly my fault because I was talking to Dappletail and mentioned how weird it was that Thistleclaw seemed to be wanting to grow closer to Lilyspark. But I _never _accused her of trying to make a move on him–our conversation just ended up spreading around the camp and things ended up escalating from there, I guess. I'll swear it on anything you like, Bluefur. I never intended for her to get hurt like this."

Bluefur searched her friend's gaze, trying to see if she was lying, but she saw nothing but sincerity. Relaxing, she nodded curtly as Rosetail let out a breath of relief.

"Fine," she meowed, still not fully forgiving her friend. Regardless of her intentions, she was still responsible for the rumors that had been spread about her sister. "But when we find her, don't expect her to be so forgiving. You might not have meant for it to happen, Rosetail, but it doesn't change the fact that you're still directly responsible for this."

"I understand," Rosetail murmured, lowering her gaze.

A few moments later, Moonflower and Sunstar emerged from the ThunderClan leader's den and padded over to join them. Their eyes flickered in surprise when they saw Rosetail, but they made no move to question her. Bluefur assumed that since she was there, her parents must have decided that she had cleared the air with the ginger-tailed molly beforehand.

"Right," the bright ginger tom meowed. "We'll have better luck if we split up into two parties. I'll search with Moonflower. Bluefur and Rosetail, you two will work together. If you find her, make sure she isn't hurt but do not force her to come back if she doesn't want to."

"I understand," Bluefur meowed, feeling a twinge of worry. Would her sister really refuse to come home? She knew the rumors had upset her, but she had never considered the possibility that they might have driven Lilyspark away from ThunderClan forever.

_Don't think like that! _she scolded herself. _Lilyspark might be upset, but she won't leave for good just because of a few rumors. She's not the type of cat to do that. _

She padded out of the camp with Rosetail at her side, pausing to sniff the air for any trace of Lilyspark. To her relief, although the scent was stale, there was a fairly clear trail. But as she turned to start following it, a thundering clap sounded and heavy rain began to fall.

_Fox dung! _

"No!" Rosetail exclaimed, staring up at the sky in horror. "What are we going to do now? We still don't have any idea of where she might have gone, and in this rain, the trail will be gone before you can blink!"

"That doesn't matter," Bluefur meowed determinedly. "We're going to keep searching no matter what. She has to be around here somewhere; there's nowhere else for her to go except ThunderClan territory. We'll find her eventually."

Moonflower nodded in agreement. "Sunstar and I will head towards Fourtrees and make our way to Sunningrocks from there. You two head toward the ShadowClan border first, then go over to Snakerocks. If you don't find her there, try Twolegplace next."

Bluefur nodded and raced off in the direction her mother had suggested, forcing Rosetail to sprint to keep up with her. As she ran, she sent a silent prayer to StarClan that Lilyspark hadn't gone in the direction of the Thunderpath. She remembered all too well what happened the last time a cat had run onto it, and she didn't think she could handle losing another sister in the same way.

To her relief, however, when they reached the gray path, there was no sign of her sister anywhere. Unfortunately, that still left Bluefur with the problem of figuring out where she _had _gone. Just as she was about to head over toward Snakerocks, a sharp gasp from Rosetail stopped her. Turning around to see what was wrong, Bluefur saw her friend staring at something on the Thunderpath.

"Rosetail, what are you–?" she started to ask, then stopped abruptly when she saw it. Staining the Thunderpath were several droplets of dried blood.

"It has Lilyspark's scent," Rosetail meowed shakily. "Bluefur, you don't think...?"

"No, she's not," Bluefur meowed firmly, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Rosetail. "Look at it. There's not very much there, and definitely not enough for her to be seriously injured. Besides, if she had been killed on the Thunderpath, we would have seen her body by now...or smelled it."

"Yeah, you're right," the gray tabby molly agreed, looking relieved.

They turned and headed in the direction of Snakerocks. As they ran, Bluefur could feel her pelt becoming drenched from the rain. She ignored it, however, and kept running. If Lilyspark was still out here, they needed to get her back to the camp before she caught a cold–or worse, whitecough or greencough.

A sharp exclamation from Rosetail caught her attention. "Bluefur, look! Over there by that tree!"

Bluefur came to a halt and glanced in the direction her companion had pointed in. A surge of relief shot through her as she spotted a familiar figure hunched over underneath a tree, clearly shivering and dripping wet. Without thinking, she rushed toward her sister as Lilyspark looked up, her amber eyes dull. Bluefur pressed her muzzle against the younger warrior's forehead, feeling herself relax as she confirmed that Lilyspark was indeed solid and real.

"Bluefur?" Lilyspark meowed softly.

Bluefur's shoulders shook. "Lilyspark, do you have _any _idea how worried we've been about you?" she demanded.

Lilyspark flinched. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I just couldn't handle–"

"Look at you! You're soaked through to the bone! What were you thinking, sitting out here in weather like this? You could have gotten sick–or worse!" Bluefur's voice cracked as she pressed her nose against her sister's cheek. More softly, she added, "Don't ever do something like that again. I couldn't take it if I lost you too."

"I won't," the white warrior murmured. "I promise."

"Lilyspark," Rosetail meowed, padding forward hesitantly. Bluefur suppressed a flinch at the sudden blaze of fury in her sister's eyes.

"You! What are _you _doing here?" Lilyspark demanded before rounding on Bluefur. "Why did you bring her here? You know what she did to me!"

"Lilyspark, please. Rosetail can explain everything. Just give her a chance," Bluefur pleaded. "She told me what happened before we came here, and the real story isn't what you think it is."

At that, Lilyspark looked a little surprised, but the anger in her eyes didn't fade completely. "Fine. But it had better be good."

Quickly, Rosetail repeated the story she had told to Bluefur earlier about how she had only mentioned Thistleclaw's sudden interest in Lilyspark to Dappletail, but the conversation had been spread around the camp and the rumors had started from there as the story got twisted. As she finished, Bluefur was relieved to see that the anger in Lilyspark's eyes had disappeared to be replaced with understanding. She gave Rosetail a nod, her fur lying flat.

"Okay," she meowed finally. "I believe you."

Rosetail let out a breath. "Thank you, Lilyspark," she meowed sincerely. "I really am sorry–I never meant for it to happen, I promise you. But you know how everyone else can get sometimes."

"Yeah, I know," Lilyspark chuckled. She hesitated, then added, "I'm sorry too, you know, for all those things I said about you. Especially about Sweetpaw. That was..."

"Don't worry about it," Rosetail answered, flicking her tail dismissively. "If I were in your position, I'd have felt the same way."

"Now, come on. We should get back home," Bluefur meowed. "Moonflower and Sunstar are out looking for you too, and we need to let them know that you're okay, Lilyspark. And you should probably see Featherwhisker too, just in case you've caught a cold."

However, when she moved to head back to the camp, Lilyspark hesitated. "No, wait! I–I don't want to go back."

"Why not?" Bluefur asked, frowning. "You have to go back eventually. You're not just going to stay out here forever because of a few mouse-brains, are you? Lilyspark, I know the rumors hurt, but they'll die down eventually. They always do."

"I know, I know," her sister meowed, shaking her head. "But that's not it. Well, that's not _only _it. I just...I mean, I can't..."

Lilyspark trailed off and turned her head to the side, gazing off into the distance. A sad look came over her face that sent a pang through Bluefur's heart. She didn't push her, however, she just waited for her younger sister to collect her thoughts. Rosetail murmured something about going to find Moonflower and Sunstar before padding away. After a few heartbeats, Lilyspark finally turned to look at her again, the same pained expression still in her eyes.

"I miss her," Lilyspark whispered.

_Of course, she's just missing Snowfur, _Bluefur thought as she finally realized what was upsetting her sister so much. She should have known. Silently, she draped her tail around Lilyspark's shoulders.

"I'm so stupid," the white-furred molly meowed, laughing mirthlessly. "After Snowfur died, I thought the best solution was to throw myself into my warrior duties. I thought if I did that, I could make myself forget about everything–or at least make it so that I wouldn't have to deal with it. But look at where that got me. I've done nothing but make an absolute mess out of my life."

"You are _not _stupid," Bluefur meowed firmly. "It would be hypocritical of me to say that, especially considering how I acted after Snowfur died. There's nothing wrong with you, Lilyspark. Losing anyone is hard, and we all have to process it in different ways. Granted, I think you did it a lot better than I did, but that's not the point."

"I wouldn't say I did it better," Lilyspark meowed, self-disgust clear in her voice. "If I had, I wouldn't be in this position right now. Look at me. I'm pathetic. I can't handle anything without running away."

"That's not true. Lilyspark, if you're pathetic, then I'm twice as pathetic as you are," Bluefur meowed. "But that's okay. There's not much that can be done...so we'll just have to be pathetic together. Everything will be alright, Lilyspark, I promise. As long as we have each other, right?"

Lilyspark was silent for a few heartbeats, then nodded slowly. "Okay," she meowed softly.

Purring softly, Bluefur curled her tail protectively around her baby sister and pressed her muzzle against her forehead again. She knew that she had made a mistake by moping over Snowfur's death for so long, but she was determined to make up for it now. No matter what it took, she would see to it that she never lost Lilyspark the same way she had lost Snowfur.


	21. Bent But Not Broken

Although Lilyspark was able to forgive Rosetail for unintentionally causing rumors to be spread about her, she wasn't too keen on showing any mercy to the rest of the gossipers. While she could believe that Rosetail hadn't realized what the consequences of her actions would be, _they _absolutely had. They had intended to hurt her, or if they hadn't, they certainly hadn't cared if they did so long as they could entertain themselves. There were some things that were beyond forgiveness, and this was one of them.

Needless to say, when she was immediately hounded by her Clanmates upon returning to the camp, Lilyspark didn't exactly give them the friendliest greeting in the world.

"Yes, yes, I'm back. Why don't you go back to your sad, pathetic lives and leave me alone?" she snarled.

"Lilyspark, we–" Goldenflower began, but she cut her off.

"Shut up! How dare you speak to me? You have no right after what you did!" Lilyspark hissed, baring her teeth at the older warrior. "It's a shame you aren't more like Lionheart. At least he's a noble warrior. Just back off if you know what's good for you, Goldenflower."

Goldenflower's face fell as she stepped back and padded away. Lilyspark tried to care but found that she didn't.

"We weren't trying to upset you, honest," Dappletail meowed. Lilyspark narrowed her eyes at her. She hadn't forgotten that it was Dappletail who spread the conversation around the camp.

"That's a load of fox dung and you know it," she snapped, lashing her tail.

"Enough!" Bluefur broke in. "All of you, leave now! She doesn't want to talk to you. What's so hard to understand about that? Or are you all just completely incapable of ever showing any consideration for her feelings?"

Lilyspark snorted. "They can't help it, it's a habit by now."

"But–" Speckletail protested.

Bluefur glared at her. "Go!"

Slowly, the surrounding warriors turned and walked away, pausing every so often to shoot guilty looks at Lilyspark and Bluefur. Instead of responding, Lilyspark turned to her sister and brushed her nose gently over her ear. She knew that she had been unfair, but the wounds were still too raw, too painful. It wasn't just the fact that they were accusing her of making a move on Thistleclaw and dishonoring Snowfur's memory that bothered her, it was the fact that they were trying to lie now and claim that they didn't think it would bother her. If they had apologized and owned up to their actions, she might have been more willing to listen to them. As it was, it looked as though she couldn't trust any of her Clanmates except for her family, Rosetail, Poppydawn, Thrushpelt, and Lionheart.

Almost instinctively, Lilyspark glanced over toward Goldenflower, who appeared to be pleading her case with Lionheart. She felt a prickle of satisfaction when the golden-furred tom shook his head and padded away, leaving her standing there alone. Logically speaking, she knew that she should feel guilty over driving a rift between the two littermates, but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so. If Goldenflower was so upset over losing her brother's friendship, perhaps next time she would think before spreading rumors about other cats.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Bluefur meowed, nudging her over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Sure, okay," Lilyspark agreed, suddenly feeling much more cheerful. It had been a while since she shared a meal with her sister.

Together, the two sisters padded over to the fresh-kill pile and selected one mouse each. After selecting her meal, Lilyspark glanced around the camp for a place to eat that wasn't occupied by any of her Clanmates. To her relief, she spotted Lionheart sitting underneath the clump of nettles, a half-eaten squirrel at his paws. He glanced up as they walked over to join him, purring and flicking his tail in greeting.

"Hello, Lilyspark, Bluefur," he meowed.

"Hi, Lionheart," Lilyspark meowed cheerfully. Bluefur just nodded at him.

"Are you alright?" Lionheart asked, looking at her in concern.

Lilyspark flicked her tail. "Better than I was," she meowed honestly. "I just wish I didn't have to share a den with all of..._them_."

"I understand that," her friend meowed sympathetically. "If it makes you feel any better, I never believed a word they were saying about you. I know you're a better cat than that."

"I know, Lionheart," Lilyspark murmured. She shook her head and added, "I just wish everyone else knew how to use their brains too. Especially Goldenflower. I thought she was one of my best friends, but I guess I was wrong. And unlike Rosetail, I _know _she meant everything."

"I know," Lionheart agreed, glancing down at his paws. "She's not a bad cat, really. I guess she just...I don't know, really."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that you two are quarreling over this," Lilyspark added. She didn't feel sorry for Goldenflower, but Lionheart was her friend and she didn't like to see him upset with his sister.

The golden tom shook his head. "Don't be, you have nothing to be sorry about. She's the one that needs to apologize."

"Is she even sorry for what she did?" Bluefur asked, pushing aside the remains of her mouse.

"That's hard to say," Lionheart replied, frowning. "I think she is sorry, but I don't know if it's because she feels bad for hurting Lilyspark or because Lilyspark is still–rightfully, I might add–angry with her. Something tells me that she expected Lilyspark to forgive her instantly, and the fact that she didn't was a bit of a harsh wake-up call."

Lilyspark snorted. "If she expected me to forgive her instantly, then obviously she wasn't really my friend in the first place because she would know that's not how it works with me."

Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it wasn't something to be proud of. Holding a grudge wasn't healthy for anyone, and she knew that as well as the next cat. Being angry all the time wasn't as satisfying as one might think. Try as she might, however, Lilyspark couldn't find it in herself to forgive her Clanmates. She was sure that she would get over it eventually, but right now, she was apparently incapable of doing so.

_Not that I can blame it entirely on them, _she realized. _After all, I'm the one who let Thistleclaw stalk and harass me. If I hadn't let him make those advancements, the rumors probably wouldn't have happened in the first place. Or if they had, most of the Clan wouldn't have believed them. It's my own fault for not protecting myself. _

The only cat she felt genuine remorse over hurting was Rosetail. She knew that she had been wrong in telling her that she should have died instead of Sweetpaw, and she also knew that her apology had come off as insincere and callous. It hadn't been her intention, of course; she had just been too overwhelmed by her emotions to properly articulate herself. And if she was being honest, there was still a part of her that had been upset with her Clanmate. Rosetail might not have _intended _for anything to come of her conversation with Dappletail, but the fact remained that she still bore at least some of the responsibility.

Still, though, it was surprising that Rosetail had been able to forgive her so quickly.

_Maybe I should apologize to her again, _she mused to herself.

Glancing around the camp, Lilyspark felt a pang of guilt as she spotted Rosetail sitting by herself, eating a small thrush. She knew it wasn't entirely her fault that the gray tabby was sitting by herself, but she also knew that the reason Rosetail hadn't asked to join them was because of her. Meowing a quick farewell to Bluefur and Lionheart, Lilyspark got to her paws and walked over to where Rosetail was sitting. The older molly glanced up at her, clearly startled to see her standing there.

"Lilyspark?" Rosetail meowed. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine, absolutely fine," Lilyspark reassured her. "I just wanted to say...I really _am _sorry for everything I said to you, especially about how I wished that you had died instead of Sweetpaw. That was wrong of me...I shouldn't have brought her up like that and I definitely don't wish you were dead. I was just so angry about everything, and I guess I didn't handle Snowfur's death as well as I thought so that just made things worse–but that's no excuse, I know that."

"It's okay, Lilyspark," Rosetail meowed gently, placing her tail on her shoulder. "You aren't the only one in the wrong here. I hurt you too."

"Unintentionally," Lilyspark pointed out. "Seems kind of pointless for you to be sorry, really. If I had just let you explain everything the first time, we might have avoided this."

"Maybe," her friend acknowledged. "But as I told you before, I don't blame you. I would have done the same thing if I were in your place."

Lilyspark laughed and shook her head. "No, you wouldn't, but that's because you're a nicer cat than I am."

"I do appreciate the apology, though," Rosetail added.

"Yeah," Lilyspark murmured, twitching her ear. "So...do you want to join us? You look a little lonely here by yourself."

"Sure, okay," Rosetail agreed, her eyes lighting up.

Lilyspark nodded, and Rosetail got to her paws, picking up her thrush. She followed her friend as she bounded over to where Lionheart and Bluefur were still waiting, engrossed in conversation. Apologizing to Rosetail–sincerely this time–felt good, and Lilyspark felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Of course, there was still a long way to go before she was able to let go of everything that had happened, but she had taken a step today and that had to count for something. For the first time, she began to feel a spark of hope that one day, she would be able to make peace with herself.


	22. Confessions and Rejections

Unfortunately, although the rest of her Clanmates finally had the sense to stop spreading rumors about her and Thistleclaw, Lilyspark still had one lingering issue to deal with. For whatever reason, the spiky-furred warrior refused to halt his pursuit of her...whatever it was that he wanted from her. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out why he was suddenly so interested in her.

Regardless of his reasoning, however, the fact remained that she could barely get a moment of peace from him.

"Alright there, Lilyspark?" Thistleclaw meowed, padding up to her as she was sharing a squirrel with Bluefur and Lionheart.

"What do you want, Thistleclaw?" Lilyspark asked testily as Bluefur and Lionheart glared at him.

"Just thought I'd stop by and say hello. Where's the harm in that?" he asked smoothly, and she wanted nothing more than to vomit (preferably all over his oversized paws). "Mind if I sit down? What are you eating?"

"Yes, I do mind, and food, generally," she replied, taking another bite out of her squirrel.

Thistleclaw shook his head. "I meant what are you having right now? Like, specifically?"

"An unwanted conversation," Lilyspark meowed, not even bothering to look up.

"No, I meant–"

"Give it a rest, Thistleclaw," Bluefur snapped. "She doesn't want to talk to you. What's so hard for you to understand about that?"

Thistleclaw glared furiously at the blue-gray molly, but even he knew better than to test both her and Lilyspark's patience. Whirling around, he stormed off toward the camp entrance, snapping something at Goldenflower as he nearly collided with the golden-furred warrior. Lilyspark stared after him, bewilderment making her mind swirl, then shook her head and went back to her meal. As confused as she was, she didn't have the energy to deal with her Clanmate's strange behavior. Whatever was going on with Thistleclaw, he would just have to figure it out for himself.

"You'd think he'd have learned his lesson by now," her sister remarked, looking as exasperated as Lilyspark felt. "How many times are you going to have to reject him for the message to sink in?"

"Tell me about it," Lilyspark agreed, shaking her head. "Then again, what else do you expect from toms?"

"Hey!" Lionheart protested.

"Not you, Lionheart, you're special," she meowed, flicking her friend affectionately over the shoulder with her tail. She shook her head. "But really, if I had a mouse for every time I asked myself what that arrogant mouse-brain is up to, I'd have enough fresh-kill to feed the entire Clan for the next six seasons."

Meowing a quick goodbye to her sister and her best friend, Lilyspark stood up and padded toward the camp entrance, hoping for a bit of time to relax and maybe hunt for a while. It had been a while since Thistleclaw left, and she felt fairly confident that she wouldn't run into the gray and white warrior. Unfortunately, she was quickly proven wrong when, upon pushing her way through the thorn barrier, she was greeted by the sight of him loitering around just outside the camp entrance.

"Lilyspark!" Thistleclaw exclaimed.

"Not you again!" she groaned. "What are you even doing here? You left ages ago!"

"I was going to leave, but I remembered that you always like going hunting after you finish eating, so I decided to wait," he explained.

"Oh," Lilyspark meowed, not knowing what else to say. How did he know her habits so well?

"So...do you want to go hunting together?" the spiky-furred tom offered. "We'd catch a lot more prey for the Clan if we work together."

"What makes you think I would want to go hunting with you?" she asked irritably. "We're not even friends!"

She hoped that by rejecting him so harshly, she would anger him enough to convince him to give up on her. Unfortunately, rather than losing his temper, Thistleclaw simply averted his gaze. Lilyspark stared at him. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that he was _embarrassed_. That would have been quite a sight to see if it weren't for the fact that Thistleclaw never got embarrassed about anything. He simply didn't have the emotional capacity.

"Well...I guess, but...we could try?" he offered, flashing her a hopeful look.

"Why would we do that?" Lilyspark asked, honestly bewildered. _What game is he playing at now? Since when does he care about being my friend? _

At the question, Thistleclaw looked even more embarrassed. "Well, I just figured...I mean, we're supposed to be Clanmates, right? So we should do our best to try to get along. We need to present a unified front to the other Clans. It makes us look stronger."

Lilyspark didn't answer at first, pondering over his words in her mind. In fairness, what he said wasn't entirely unreasonable. It _would _be best if they tried to get along, if not for their own sake, then at least for the sake of keeping their weaknesses hidden from their enemies. Yet still...

"If you're so concerned about presenting a unified front," she began slowly. "Then why aren't you also trying to make amends with Bluefur?"

Thistleclaw flicked his tail dismissively. "She's not important right now. I'm asking _you _to be my friend, not her."

"Watch it," Lilyspark growled, feeling a flash of anger. "That's my sister you're talking about. Don't tell me she's not important."

"I–I apologize," Thistleclaw stammered. "I only meant that I'm only concerned with asking you to be my friend right now."

Silence fell between the two warriors for a few heartbeats. Lilyspark still didn't know what to say. In the few moons since Snowfur had died, Thistleclaw had gone from despising the ground she walked on to suddenly wanting to befriend her. She knew he had to have an ulterior motive of some sort, but she couldn't figure out what it might be.

"I don't understand you, Thistleclaw," she meowed finally. "You've hated me ever since we were kits, and I don't think I need to tell you that I'm not exactly your biggest supporter either. We've been Clanmates for seasons, but you've never even tried to make friends with me before. What made you decide to do it now?"

"I told you. I want–"

"No," Lilyspark interrupted, narrowing her eyes at the older cat. "Give me the _real _reason, not your heap of fox dung about 'wanting to present a unified front'."

For a few heartbeats, he remained silent, and she began to wonder if he would answer her at all. Finally, he looked her in the eye and replied softly, "I like you."

Whatever answer she had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that. Lilyspark stared at him, unable to form a coherent thought, much less say anything in response. Thistleclaw seemed to take her silence as an invitation to expound on his confession.

"You're a great cat, Lilyspark, really," he meowed quietly, staring at her in a way that made her pelt prickle uncomfortably. It wasn't necessarily a _threatening _look, but even so, she would rather he look at anyone else besides her with it. "You're an amazing cat...you're brave, strong, funny, and you've got a tongue sharper than my claws. I've liked you for a while now, actually. I know we haven't always gotten along, but–"

"Thistleclaw, _no_," Lilyspark interrupted, finally finding her voice. She didn't know where all of this was coming from, but she wasn't going to let it continue. "I'm sorry, but you're deluding yourself. You don't like me."

"I'm not. I know this is out of nowhere, trust me," Thistleclaw urged her, and she suppressed a snort at the understatement. "But I really do like you. I...I think I might even feel the same way about you that I did about Snowfur. If you would only give me a chance..."

"I don't know how you can even say that!" she burst out, and she wasn't entirely sure where her sudden rage was coming from, but it was all she could do not to rake her claws over the gray and white tom's ears. "You _hate _me. And I hate you. That's how it's always been. How can you sit there and tell me that you feel the same way about me that you did about Snowfur? Is this your idea of a joke? Because if it is, it ends now, understood?"

She finished her tirade, panting slightly and glaring at the spiky-furred tom. Who did he think he was, messing with her mind like this? It was ridiculously obvious that he didn't actually like her–how could he? Nobody went from despising someone to suddenly liking them as quickly as he apparently had. Quite frankly, she found it insulting that he thought she would be foolish enough to believe him.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Thistleclaw was trying to confess to her when he had been mates with her _sister_. They had a _family_ together. Even if she _had _returned his feelings, Lilyspark would never have even dreamed of betraying Snowfur like that.

Besides, while it was certainly well within Thistleclaw's right to find a new mate, Snowfur had been dead for _two moons_.

"Lilyspark, I love you," he meowed softly.

"No. You. Don't," she snarled, pure fury bubbling up inside of her and burning her pelt. "You don't love me. You could never love me. I doubt you even loved Snowfur, judging by how easily you seem to have forgotten about her. Do you have _any _loyalty in you at all?"

"Lilyspark–" Thistleclaw protested, but she cut him off.

"The sad part is that for whatever reason, she loved you more than anything. When she found out that she was going to have your kits, I've never seen her so happy. I don't think I need to tell you that I didn't approve of your relationship, but even I'm not going to deny that. But I guess she never meant as much to you as you did to her." Lilyspark shook her head. "I'm going hunting now. And don't you dare try to follow me, Thistleclaw. Go away. Go away and leave me alone."

Without waiting for a response, she flashed him one last contemptuous look before turning around and padding off into the forest.


	23. Sisters

When Lilyspark returned from her hunting trip that evening, Bluefur could tell immediately that something was bothering her. The younger molly's eyes were blazing with annoyance, her white fur fluffed up. As she entered the camp, she paused and looked around as though expecting to see someone. Apparently, whoever she had been expecting wasn't there for she shook her head and continued on her way to the fresh-kill pile, depositing her load.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bluefur spotted Thistleclaw, seated over on the opposite side of the camp, stand up and make as if to walk over to Lilyspark. At the last second, however, he appeared to change his mind and sat back down. Her sister gave no indication as to whether she had noticed any of this, but Bluefur couldn't help feeling suspicious. Had Thistleclaw done something to Lilyspark?

"Hey there," Lilyspark meowed, sitting down heavily next to Bluefur and exhaling deeply. She closed her eyes. "StarClan, I need a break right now..."

"What happened?" Bluefur asked, feeling her whiskers twitch as she suppressed a laugh. "And what's going on with you and Thistleclaw?"

"Nothing. Well, at least not on my end," her sister answered. As if sensing Bluefur's confusion, she clarified, "He...more or less cornered me when I was trying to leave to go hunting this afternoon."

"And...what did he want?" she asked, dreading what the answer would be.

"Well, first he invited me to go hunting with him. Apparently, he decided to wait for me to finish eating because he knows I always like to go hunting after a meal," Lilyspark replied, grimacing in disgust. "I turned him down, of course, but then he insisted on trying to become _friends _with me. Can you believe that?"

"He _what?_" Bluefur exclaimed, stunned.

Her sister nodded. "Tell me about it. So I asked him why he suddenly wanted to be my friend–I mean, that mouse-brain never does anything without a motive–and he gave me some load of fox dung about wanting to 'present a more unified front to the other Clans' or something like that."

Bluefur couldn't suppress a snort at that. The irony of Thistleclaw wanting to appear unified wasn't lost on her. She couldn't think of a single cat in the Clan who genuinely liked the spiky-furred warrior. There were cats who respected him for his fighting skills, certainly, but nobody went out of their way to befriend him.

"Right," Lilyspark agreed, seeing her reaction. She shook her head. "Well, naturally, I saw right through _that_–I mean, come on. How stupid does he think I am? So I told him to tell me the truth. And do you know what that...that absolute...that piece of–"

Thoroughly alarmed, Bluefur watched as her baby sister nearly worked herself into a rage, her fluffy white tail lashing back and forth. Ever since they were kits, Lilyspark and Thistleclaw had possessed a talent for making the other lose their cool over seemingly the smallest incidents. It was rare that a single day went by without the two of them getting into a heated argument. Yet even during all those screeching fights, never once had Bluefur seen Lilyspark so angry that she was nearly incoherent.

"Lilyspark, calm down," she meowed soothingly, resting her tail on her sister's shoulder. To her relief, she felt the tension in the younger molly's shoulders relax slightly. "Tell me what he did. If he's hurt you in any way..."

She left the thinly veiled threat hanging.

"No, he hasn't hurt me. Not physically anyway. His stupidity is a bit painful to deal with, though," Lilyspark replied. Her lip curled into a sneer as she added, "He was _ever _so kind enough as to inform me that he _loves _me."

Bluefur nearly choked. She had been wondering why Thistleclaw had suddenly taken an interest in Lilyspark so soon after Snowfur's death, but never had she imagined that _this _would be the reason. Anger flared up inside of her as she looked at her sister, so much like Snowfur in appearance aside from her eyes and her pure white ears. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Thistleclaw was suddenly into her. Who did he think he was?

"Do you like him?" she asked. The thought of another one of her sisters becoming mates with the arrogant weasel made her feel sick, but if it was what Lilyspark wanted, Bluefur knew she couldn't stand in her way.

To her relief, Lilyspark shook her head fervently. "_No, _Bluefur. I don't. I would never like someone like him. And I doubt he even really likes me. I told him as much today–I mean, what else did he expect? Did he think that I would ever accept him? Even if I _did _like him, he was our sister's mate! You don't move in on your dead sibling's mate, especially not _two blasted moons after their death_. It simply isn't done."

"No, you don't," Bluefur agreed. "You're right, Lilyspark, you shouldn't."

She had never felt more disgust toward Snowfur's former mate than she did at that moment. Even though she hadn't approved of their relationship, she could at least accept it knowing that Snowfur was happy. What must her sister think now, looking down from StarClan upon the cat she must have thought she'd grow old together with?

_Did Thistleclaw only want to be with Snowfur so she would have his kits? Is that the only purpose of having a mate to him? _

It was a dark thought, but once it crossed her mind, she couldn't shake it off. Snowfur had become pregnant so soon after they had become warriors, sooner than most queens did. Not that Bluefur was one to judge–after all, a molly was free to have kits as long as she had earned her warrior name–but it hadn't made sense. They were still so young, and Snowfur had always been so wild and independent. Had Thistleclaw somehow pressured her into having his kits?

_No, _Bluefur thought, shaking her head. Thistleclaw might have been as arrogant and self-centered as they came, but Snowfur had spoken about wanting a family with him well before she had gotten pregnant.

"I don't know what to do now, though," Lilyspark meowed again, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What if he doesn't stop? He's been borderline stalking me ever since Snowfur died. I rejected him today, but what if he isn't willing to take no for an answer?"

"Do you think he would do anything to force you?" she asked, feeling a pang of worry.

"I don't know. And that's what worries me. I don't know if he's willing to accept my answer as it is or if he's determined to get me to say yes, and, if he does go that route, how far he's willing to take things," her sister admitted, and Bluefur could see by the way her claws were digging into the ground that she was genuinely scared. "He...he's _creepy_, Bluefur. I don't know what it is, but something about him makes me feel like I've got ants crawling all over my pelt, and for once, it's not because he keeps looking for an excuse to start fights on border patrols."

"Have you told our parents about this?" Bluefur asked.

Lilyspark shook her head. "I don't want to bother them about every little problem I have. He hasn't done anything to hurt me yet, and for all I know, this will be the end of things. I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."

"Alright," Bluefur meowed reluctantly. "But if he keeps bothering you like this, then I want you to talk to Moonflower or Sunstar. And if you don't feel comfortable doing it, just tell me and _I'll _say something. They're our parents, Lilyspark, and they'll want to make sure that you're safe."

Lilyspark nodded and rested her head against Bluefur's shoulder. "Alright," she murmured softly. "I will."

"Hey," Bluefur meowed softly, curling her tail protectively around her baby sister. "It's going to be okay, Lily. I promise. No matter what, I'll make sure Thistleclaw can't hurt you."


	24. Tours

The following morning, Lilyspark was awoken by the sound of Sunstar's voice calling for a Clan meeting. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she rose out of her nest, stretching her back legs out behind her as she padded toward the den entrance. As she stepped out, she was met by Bluefur and Rosetail, who were both seated just outside the warriors' den.

"Hey, you two," Lilyspark greeted the two older warriors.

"Hey there yourself," Bluefur meowed, touching her nose briefly to her sister's. "Come on, let's head over to the meeting. Lionheart said he'd save a spot for us."

"Sure, okay," she agreed, glancing furtively over to where the golden-furred tom was sitting. To her relief, Lionheart was seated about as far away from Thistleclaw as possible, and she wondered if he had intentionally picked his spot to avoid the gray and white warrior. "Let's go, then."

As she followed Bluefur and Rosetail over to the clearing beneath the Highrock, Lilyspark wondered to herself what the meeting was for. When she sat down, however, she noticed Leopardfoot and Tigerkit sitting at the base of the Highrock. Tigerkit's fur looked as though it had been recently groomed and his tail was flicking about excitedly. With a start, Lilyspark finally realized what was going on; Tigerkit was about to start his apprentice training.

_I wonder who his mentor is going to be, _Lilyspark mused, glancing around herself at the other warriors. _Not me, I haven't been a warrior long enough and I'm pretty sure Sunstar would have told me if he was going to pick me. Not Leopardfoot, I know Sunstar doesn't like picking parents as mentors. Not any of the other queens; they're busy with their kits. Huh...it could be any of the older warriors; none of them have apprentices to worry about right now. _

"The time has come for Tigerkit to begin his training as an apprentice of ThunderClan," Sunstar meowed from his place on the Highrock. "Tigerkit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. I trust that you will train hard and become a warrior your Clan can be proud of."

Now, the moment of truth had arrived. Lilyspark looked around at her Clanmates again, trying to see if she could figure out who Tigerpaw's mentor would be. Unfortunately for her, nobody was giving away much of anything in their expressions.

"Bluefur," Sunstar meowed, and Lilyspark felt a thrill of excitement shoot through her. "You will be Tigerpaw's mentor. You have shown yourself to be a warrior of great courage and wisdom, and I trust that you will pass on all the skills you possess to your new apprentice."

"Of course, Sunstar," Bluefur meowed, dipping her head to the bright ginger tom. She padded forward and met Tigerpaw, who stretched his head up eagerly to touch noses with his new mentor.

"Tigerpaw! Bluefur!" The Clan cheered for the new mentor and apprentice duo.

Lilyspark joined in as well, pleased that her sister had gotten her first apprentice. Judging by the looks on her Clanmate's faces, they seemed to approve of Sunstar's choice as well. Only one cat didn't look happy at all. Thistleclaw was glowering at Bluefur, hatred, and jealousy clear in his yellow gaze. He didn't even bother to join in his Clanmates' cheering.

_Guess he'll be waiting a bit longer, then, _she thought to herself in satisfaction. Standing up, she padded over to Bluefur, brushing her nose against her sister's cheek. "Congratulations," she purred.

"Thanks, Lilyspark," Bluefur purred back.

"Be careful with that one, now," she joked. "He looks like he's going to be a pawful."

"I won't! I'm going to be the best apprentice ever!" Tigerpaw piped up, his eyes gleaming eagerly.

Lilyspark chuckled. "I'm sure you will."

"I'm glad Sunstar chose you," Rosetail meowed. "Imagine if he chose _Thistleclaw _to be Tigerpaw's mentor."

"Yeah...speaking of which, he doesn't look too happy, does he?" Lionheart noted, glancing over at the spiky-furred warrior.

"Does he ever?" Lilyspark joked, to which everyone else laughed loudly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thistleclaw stand up and start walking toward their group, looking straight at her. Fortunately, Bluefur noticed this as well and skillfully maneuvered herself around Lilyspark so that she was blocking his path. Lilyspark saw Thistleclaw narrow his eyes slightly, but even he knew better than to keep pushing when Bluefur was around. He turned away and slouched off toward the warriors' den.

"Come on, why don't we show Tigerpaw the territory together?" Bluefur offered.

"Sure, okay," Lilyspark agreed, unable to hide her relief.

Tigerpaw's tail twitched excitedly. "Let's go! I want to see _everything! _Can we visit the Great Sycamore first?"

"Of course," Bluefur meowed, looking amused. "We'll go there straight away. Rosetail, look after Whitekit while we're gone."

"Don't worry, Bluefur. Whitekit will be safe with me," the tabby warrior promised.

Together, the three cats padded out of the camp, pausing occasionally as their Clanmates offered last-minute congratulations to Tigerpaw and Bluefur. As she stepped into the gorse tunnel after her sister, Lilyspark felt Thistleclaw's gaze burning into the back of her head. Feeling her pelt prickle uncomfortably, she ducked her head and quickened her pace, eager to put as much distance between herself and the gray and white tom as possible.

* * *

As it turned out, Tigerpaw was easily the most enthusiastic learner Lilyspark had ever come across. He listened intently to everything Bluefur told him, asking questions about each and every part of the territory. Other cats might have found it annoying, but Bluefur was patient and took time to explain every single one.

Most of the time, Lilyspark stayed silent, preferring to let her sister take charge of the tour. Occasionally, however, she would interject with comments of her own, which neither Tigerpaw nor Bluefur seemed to mind. When they got to Snakerocks, Tigerpaw proceeded to pepper her with questions about the fight against the dog that had taken place during her apprenticeship.

"Did it really happen? Did you really fight a dog?" he asked eagerly.

"Er...well, sort of," Lilyspark answered, glancing at her sister. "But I was a fairly new apprentice at the time, so it didn't go well."

"What happened?" Tigerpaw asked. "How did you end up fighting it?"

"I was on a hunting patrol with Bluefur, Adderfang, Smallear, and Thistleclaw–well, Thistlepaw at the time," she answered. "Thistleclaw kept messing with my hunt, scaring off every single piece of prey that I tried to catch."

"What did he do?" the brown tabby apprentice asked.

"He would shout out various false alarms, such as telling me that there was a beetle on my back, trying to distract me," Lilyspark meowed, scowling as she remembered the incident. "So when he finally called out an alarm that was real, I didn't believe him and kept hunting. By the time I realized that he was telling the truth, the dog was already standing in front of me, too close for me to be able to run away. I wasn't ready to take on a dog yet, but I didn't have much of a choice."

Tigerpaw's eyes widened. "So you really fought a dog?" he asked, looking at her in admiration. "You're so brave!"

"Not really," Lilyspark meowed, feeling rather uncomfortable. "I just did what anyone else would have done if they were trapped."

"Yes, you were, Lilyspark," Bluefur meowed gently. Her voice grew stern as she added, "But you're not to go fighting any more dogs, got that?"

Lilyspark stared at her. "Er, Bluefur...I'm a warrior now, I think I could handle a dog..."

"Don't care," was her sister's only reply.

Tigerpaw's eyes gleamed. "Someday, _I'm _going to be strong enough to fight a dog too."

"I'm sure you will," Bluefur meowed, flicking her apprentice over the shoulder. "And I'll do my best to prepare you. But that doesn't mean you should go looking for one. Dogs are dangerous, vicious animals. Most experienced warriors wouldn't stand a chance against one."

"Okay," Tigerpaw meowed, nodding furiously. "I won't go looking for one, I promise."

The tour of the territory took nearly all day. By the time they returned to the camp, the sun had started to set. Bluefur sent Tigerpaw off to have a piece of fresh-kill, promising to take him out for battle training in the morning. Despite her exhaustion, Lilyspark was pleased that her sister's first day of a mentor had gone smoothly. Tigerpaw was a promising young tom, and she felt certain that he would grow up into the strong warrior Leopardfoot had always dreamed he would be.

"Hey, you two," Lionheart meowed, padding over to them. "How was the tour?"

"Great," Bluefur meowed sincerely. "Tigerpaw's an inquisitive learner, that's for sure."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lionheart purred.

While Bluefur and Lionheart were busy talking about Tigerpaw's first day of training, Lilyspark found her eyes wandering around the camp, looking for any sign of Thistleclaw. It didn't take long to find him. He was sitting just outside the warriors' den, his eyes trained on her. As their eyes met, Thistleclaw flicked his tail slightly, beckoning her over with a greedy look in his eyes. Feeling a cold lump in her stomach, Lilyspark nudged Bluefur slightly, angling her ears toward the spiky-furred tom to get her point across.

Fortunately, her sister understood. "Come on, Lilyspark. Why don't we see if there's any fresh-kill left?"

"Sure," Lilyspark agreed. "Want to see if Moonflower will eat with us? I'm sure she'd love to hear how your first day as a mentor went."

"Alright, then," Bluefur meowed, nodding.

The two sisters walked over to the fresh-kill pile, selecting a thrush and a rabbit each before carrying their prey over to where Moonflower and Sunstar were sitting. Their mother looked up as they approached, her eyes lighting up when she saw them. Lilyspark settled herself down next to her mother, feeling herself relax as Moonflower's tongue rasped gently between her ears.

"How was the tour?" she asked.

"It was good," Bluefur answered, taking a bite out of her rabbit. "If Tigerpaw continues to show as much enthusiasm as he did today, he'll be a warrior in no time."

"Well, he has an excellent mentor," Moonflower purred. "Sunstar did well in choosing you."

"Of course," Sunstar meowed in a mock-offended voice. "You didn't think I would pick just anyone, did you?"

Lilyspark rolled her eyes, feeling the corner of her mouth twitch in amusement. Her parents were absolutely ridiculous sometimes. How was it that they had been together for seasons yet still acted like a couple of new lovebirds? She wasn't sure whether she found them sweet or absolutely disgusting.

"What about you, Lilyspark?" Moonflower asked, bringing her attention back to her mother. "How have you been doing lately?"

Her gaze was gentle and understanding. For a moment, Lilyspark hesitated, wondering if she should tell her mother about what had happened with Thistleclaw the previous day. If anyone deserved to know, it was Moonflower. Yet still, she hesitated. Thistleclaw hadn't done anything to hurt her yet; Bluefur, Rosetail, and Lionheart were making sure of that. As long as she stuck with them, she shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"I've been fine," she meowed finally, wondering all the while when the last time she had truly been _fine _had been.


	25. One Step Too Far

Thistleclaw watched from his place beside the warriors' den as Lilyspark padded out of the camp with Lionheart and Rosetail, his tail lashing in frustration. He had been waiting all day for a chance to speak to the white-furred warrior alone, but as usual, she was surrounded by her friends. Of course, it wasn't as though he couldn't talk to Lilyspark while her friends were around, but he would have much preferred to say what he needed to say without an audience.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she wouldn't want to be with him. He was strong, respected, and fairly good-looking. More importantly, they were both Whitekit's kin–Lilyspark being his aunt and him being his father. If they were mates, they could raise him together. They would have been perfect together–why couldn't _she _see it too?

Lilyspark was magnificent. She had brilliant white fur, just like Snowfur. She walked with the same confident air as Snowfur. She was just as fierce and relentless in battle as Snowfur. She had the same witty sense of humor as Snowfur. She even made the same face when she was lost in thought as Snowfur.

With all of their similarities, Thistleclaw was even willing to overlook the fact that Lilyspark's ears were pure white instead of gray. He was willing to overlook the fact that her eyes were amber instead of blue. He was willing to overlook the fact that, when turned on him, those eyes were filled with disgust and hatred instead of love and adoration.

_"You hate me. And I hate you. That's how it's always been." _

Even now, almost a quarter of a moon later, her words from that day still burned him deeply. In fairness to her, perhaps she was right in being angry with him for confessing so soon after Snowfur's death. But he had never been one to wait around, and after all, Snowfur was gone and wouldn't be coming back. What was the point in sitting around when there was a perfectly good molly right there in ThunderClan?

Besides, Snowfur would have wanted this for him, he told himself. She would have been happy that he had found another cat to be with, and one that was so much like her at that. It would be as if Whitekit had his mother back, the two of them raising their little family together.

For whatever reason, however, she refused to see the truth. She continued to insist that they hated each other, that he couldn't possibly love her. Thistleclaw didn't know how much longer he would be able to stand it, waiting for Lilyspark to realize her true feelings for him. She didn't truly hate him; of that much, he was certain. Perhaps she was under the impression that she did, but he blamed that on Bluefur. It was obvious that the blue-gray warrior had brainwashed Lilyspark into believing that she hated him–but no matter. In time, he would help her realize that they were meant for each other.

_But how am I supposed to do that? _Thistleclaw wondered, lashing his tail again. _She hardly ever goes anywhere without Bluefur, Lionheart, or Rosetail present. And every time I try to go over to talk to her, she finds a reason to leave the camp. How am I supposed to make her realize she likes me if she won't even let me talk to her? _

Suddenly, an idea came to him. If Lilyspark wasn't going to let him explain his feelings for her, he would just have to make her see the truth in another way. With a plan forming in his mind, Thistleclaw rose to his paws and padded inside the warriors' den.

* * *

When Lilyspark returned to the camp later that afternoon with Lionheart and Rosetail, she could tell immediately that something was wrong. A crowd of warriors had gathered around outside the warriors' den, all of them apparently watching something intently. She craned her neck slightly and saw, to her horror, Thistleclaw and Bluefur having a blazing row. They stood about two fox-lengths apart, their fur fluffed up and their lips drawn back in a snarl.

_What's going on? _Lilyspark wondered in alarm.

Exchanging a worried glance with her friends, she started to walk over to the throng of warriors outside the den. Before she could get there, however, she found herself being intercepted by Goldenflower.

"Lilyspark!" she exclaimed. "You're back."

"Er...hello, Goldenflower," Lilyspark replied uncertainly. "What do you want?"

The golden-furred molly shook her head. "Listen, there's...there's something you should know," she meowed. "But first of all, um...do you like Thistleclaw?"

"Do I like Thistleclaw?" she repeated disbelievingly. "Goldenflower, I can safely say with no exaggeration whatsoever that the day that good-for-nothing piece of fox dung drops down dead can't come soon enough. I think I made myself extremely clear on that front, as you should know very well yourself."

If Goldenflower was at all bothered by the pointed reminder about their fight, she didn't say anything. Instead, she shook her head and replied, "In that case, I...I think you should come with me, Lilyspark. There's something you need to see."

More bewildered than ever, Lilyspark nodded and followed her denmate over to the crowd of warriors outside their den. As they approached the small gathering, she wondered to herself what had gotten everyone so worked up. When they were a bit closer, Lilyspark was able to pick up on some of Thistleclaw and Bluefur's argument.

"How many times do I have to say it? Lilyspark doesn't like you," she heard Bluefur snarling at the spiky-furred tom. "I don't know how you got this ridiculous idea in your head, Thistleclaw, but it ends now. Stay away from my sister if you know what's good for you."

"How many times do _I _have to say it? That's not for you to decide," Thistleclaw snarled back. "Lilyspark doesn't need you to speak for her, Bluefur. She can decide whether she wants to be with me for herself."

"Excuse me?" Now, Bluefur just sounded incredulous. "She _has _decided for herself. She told you that she doesn't like you. Are you deaf or just stupid?"

Lilyspark had heard enough. Hurrying forward, she pushed her way through the crowd until she was standing between the two quarreling warriors. "What in the world is going on right now?"

"Hello, Lilyspark." Thistleclaw's voice, which had been filled with rage and hatred just moments before, was suddenly softer, more soothing.

Instead of answering, Lilyspark kept her gaze trained on her sister. "What's going on?" she repeated.

"What's going on, Lilyspark is that Thistleclaw still doesn't know how to take no for an answer," Bluefur growled, shooting a furious look at the gray and white warrior.

"What are you...?"

Bluefur shook her head, the anger in her eyes fading to be replaced by a look of worry. "Listen, Lilyspark, we need to talk to Sunstar."

"Why?" Lilyspark asked, feeling even more confused now. "I know he's been annoying, but other than that, he hasn't done a lot, has he?"

"It's gone beyond just being annoying now," her sister growled, glaring at the spiky-furred tom again.

"How so?" she inquired.

"I don't think you want to know," Bluefur meowed, giving her a worried look. "It's...just trust me, Lilyspark. We should just speak to Sunstar now and put an end to...whatever Thistleclaw thinks he's up to."

But Lilyspark knew she couldn't just leave it at that. "No," she meowed firmly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Bluefur, but...I need to know what you're talking about."

Her sister hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, then," she agreed reluctantly. "But I'm coming with you, Lilyspark. This isn't something that you should see alone."

Nodding in agreement, Lilyspark allowed her sister to guide her into the warriors' den, ignoring the whispers of her Clanmates as she walked inside. At first, she couldn't see anything that looked amiss. Puzzled, she glanced over at Bluefur.

"Er...what exactly am I meant to be looking at?" she asked.

In response, Bluefur pointed with her tail toward a spot near the center of the den. Lilyspark looked over in the direction she was pointing in and saw a new nest directly beside the one Thistleclaw always slept in, placed so closely together it was nearly impossible to tell that they were actually two separate nests instead of one large one. Without even realizing it, her shoulders stiffened and her eyes widened.

_Surely this isn't..._

Almost instinctively, Lilyspark glanced over to her left. Bile rose up in her throat at the sight that greeted her, and she had to clamp her jaws shut tightly in order to avoid vomiting all over the floor of the den.

The spot where her nest should have been was empty now.


	26. The Truth

The world seemed to spin before her, the ground swaying beneath her paws as Lilyspark tried to steady herself. All the while, she continued to fight the urge to vomit until she nearly collapsed from the strain of it all. Fortunately, Bluefur managed to catch her just as her legs buckled underneath her, holding the younger molly steadily against her shoulder.

"Easy there, Lily," her sister meowed gently.

Lilyspark didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to rage at Thistleclaw and shred him until there was absolutely nothing left of him. It would be the least he deserved, after all. But the other part of her was too stunned to do anything except stare blankly at the spot where her nest should have been. She had suspected for a while that rejecting him wouldn't be enough to get him to stop his advancements, but even she hadn't expected him to be willing to take things _this _far.

Clearly, however, he was. And that made her wonder just how much further he was willing to go. Of course, Lilyspark knew she could easily move her nest back to where it used to be, but she still had no idea what Thistleclaw's next move would be. Would moving her nest back finally be enough to get the message across, or would he continue escalating his advancements until she gave in? And if he went with the latter option, what other tricks did he have planned? Images of herself waking up to find Thistleclaw in her nest filled her mind, and Lilyspark had to fight hard not to vomit again.

"Come on," Bluefur urged her. "We need to go talk to Sunstar."

_Sunstar...yes, Sunstar,_ she thought dully, some small fragment of clarity settling in the back of her mind. Her father would know what to do. He was the Clan leader. He would know how to help her.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, pushing away the horror of her discovery–or at least as much as she could manage at such short notice. Before her resolve could fail her, Lilyspark turned around and walked out of the warriors' den with her sister by her side. As soon as she stepped outside, Thistleclaw came forward to try to speak to her, a glint in his yellow eyes that sent a chill down her spine.

"Lilyspark, I–" he began, but Bluefur wasn't having any of it.

"Back off!" she snarled, pushing her way in front of Lilyspark and glaring at Thistleclaw with so much venom that the spiky-furred warrior actually flinched. "She doesn't want to talk to you, Thistleclaw, so leave her alone."

"What's going on?" Tawnyspots demanded, pushing his way forward to the front of the group. "Bluefur, Lilyspark? Will one of you tell me what's happening?"

"We can't, Tawnyspots," Lilyspark spoke up, finally managing to find her voice. "I'm sorry. It's...complicated, but I just need to talk to Sunstar for now."

It was a poor explanation and even she knew it. Fortunately for her, however, the ThunderClan deputy seemed to realize that whatever was bothering her was important and nodded. Lilyspark felt a flood of relief wash over her; she wasn't sure what she would have done if she had to explain what Thistleclaw had tried to do in front of all her Clanmates.

"Tawnyspots," Bluefur meowed, the tone of her voice leaving no room for argument. "While we're gone, make sure Thistleclaw _does not move _from that spot."

Whether it was due to her tone or the surprise of being ordered around by a fairly young warrior, Tawnyspots only nodded mutely. Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Bluefur gently tapped Lilyspark's shoulder with her tail, pointing her in the direction of Sunstar's den. With one last nervous glance at the blue-gray molly, Lilyspark steeled herself for a second time and walked over to the Highrock.

Pausing outside her father's den, she called out softly, "Sunstar? May I come in?"

"Come in," Sunstar's voice replied.

When Lilyspark entered the den with Bluefur, she found her parents curled up in Sunstar's nest together. Some of her inner turmoil must have shown on her face, for their faces immediately creased with worry when they saw her. After several moments of silence, Moonflower was the first to speak up.

"Lilyspark, dear? Bluefur? Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

"We're fine. Well, mostly. It's just...Lilyspark has something she needs to tell you," Bluefur answered.

That was her cue to speak, she knew. But as soon as Lilyspark opened her mouth, her mind was flooded with doubts. Despite his arrogance and fondness for starting fights, Thistleclaw was a well-respected warrior within the Clan. What if Sunstar didn't believe her? What if _Moonflower _didn't believe her? After all, Thistleclaw had been Snowfur's mate. Maybe her parents would think he wouldn't hurt her because he hadn't hurt Snowfur.

Perhaps it would be best if she didn't say anything after all. She could handle Thistleclaw on her own. There was no need to drag her parents into her troubles yet, right? Technically speaking, he hadn't _really _done anything to hurt her. Physically, at least, she was fine and that was all that really mattered in the end, wasn't it?

But all it took was one look at Moonflower to know that she couldn't lie. She couldn't keep pretending that nothing was wrong. Not anymore. And certainly not to her mother.

"It's...it's about Thistleclaw," she managed to meow after another few heartbeats of silence, and once she started, she found that she couldn't stop.

"After Snowfur died, he started acting...strange, shall I say, around me. Instead of insulting me or ignoring me, he seemed like he was trying to be _nice_. He started talking to me as if I were any other Clanmate...but sometimes, he would invite me to hunt with him or share a piece of fresh-kill. Eventually, our Clanmates noticed what was going on, and, well, you know what happened after that," she meowed, thinking back to the rumors that had enraged her so much. Right now, she would gladly take her Clanmates' gossip over Thistleclaw's constant pursuits.

"Well, luckily for me, the rumors stopped eventually. But...Thistleclaw wouldn't leave me alone. He kept trying to talk to me, kept trying to convince me to join him on a hunting patrol or to share a meal. Eventually, I confronted him and asked what he thought he was doing. And he...well, he confessed to–to having feelings for me. I rejected him, but I wasn't sure if that would be enough to dissuade him. It...it wasn't, but Bluefur agreed to help keep him away from me. So did Lionheart and Rosetail, even if they didn't necessarily know why. And at first, it worked. He never bothered me as long as I was with one of them."

"But then today...I came back from a patrol, and, well, I could see that something was wrong. There were a bunch of cats crowding around outside the warriors' den, and as I got closer, Goldenflower came over and told me there was something I needed to see. I saw Bluefur and Thistleclaw having an argument...about me. I asked them what was going on, and Bluefur told me that I should talk to you about Thistleclaw...er, pestering me. She said that he had gone too far and that it was time for me to say something. Of course, I wanted to know what had happened. She tried to discourage me, but I insisted, and...and I found out that Thistleclaw had moved my nest next to his while I was gone."

Silence filled the den after she finished her story, and for a moment, Lilyspark was afraid that her parents hadn't believed her. But when Sunstar spoke up, his voice held no accusation or disbelief, just deep sorrow.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" he asked.

"I...I didn't want to burden you," Lilyspark admitted, unable to hide the relief in her voice. They believed her. They knew she was telling the truth. "I know you're busy, and I figured...well, he hadn't _really _done anything except for being annoying, so it wasn't exactly worth reporting him."

"Lilyspark, no. It's _always _okay for you to come to us if you're having a problem," Moonflower interrupted, resting her tail gently on her daughter's shoulder. "Even though you're a warrior now, we're still your parents and it's our job to watch out for you. That's never going to change."

"And that applies to everyone in this Clan," Sunstar added. "Everyone is welcome to come to me with a problem, no matter how big or small it might be. Otherwise, I wouldn't make much of a leader."

Lilyspark nodded. "I understand," she meowed quietly.

Bluefur draped her tail protectively around her sister's shoulders and asked, "What will happen to Thistleclaw now?"

"The only suitable punishment for a cat that has committed his crimes," the bright ginger tom answered. "He's going to be sent into exile."

At that, Lilyspark's head snapped up as her chest tightened with horror. "No! You can't, you can't exile him!"

"Why not?" Sunstar asked, looking bewildered. "Do you _want _him in the Clan?"

"It's not that," she answered, struggling to find a way to explain herself. "It's just that...if you exile him, you'll have to tell the Clan _why _he's being exiled. I...I know they probably already know what he did to my nest, but I don't think they know the full extent of what was going on. And I just...I don't want all of that shared with every single cat in ThunderClan. I want him out of the Clan, but I can't have that, Sunstar, I can't. I can't let them think that I'm..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but it was clear from everyone's expressions that they had already guessed what she was going to say. Lilyspark stared at her parents and sister, silently pleading with them to understand where she was coming from.

Finally, to her relief, her father nodded. "Alright, Lilyspark," he meowed gently. "I won't make a public announcement, then. But I will personally see to it that he never catches another mouse for this Clan again, Lilyspark, I promise you I'll see to it."


	27. An Understanding of Sorts

That night, Lilyspark could barely get any sleep. Despite the exhaustion dulling her senses, she couldn't seem to get her eyes to stay shut for more than a few heartbeats. The young warrior tossed and turned in her nest (which, fortunately, had been moved back to its original spot in the den), trying in vain to banish the memory of the day's events from her mind.

Not for the first time that day, she wondered whether she had done the right thing in going to her parents. True, Thistleclaw's behavior had been unnerving, but he hadn't done anything particularly harmful and she knew she could have handled him on her own. If anything, she was more confused over why he had suddenly decided to start pursuing _her_. Lilyspark could understand him wanting another mate–even if she disagreed with him moving on so soon after Snowfur's death–but why her and not one of the other mollies in ThunderClan?

_Snowfur. _

Lilyspark turned her head to look out of the entrance to the den, at the stars that were just barely visible through the bramble thicket. Was her sister watching over her family now? And if so, what did she think about Thistleclaw's recent actions? Snowfur had loved Thistleclaw dearly when she was alive; no matter what Lilyspark thought of their relationship, that fact was undeniable. Was she hurt seeing him move on from her, or did she understand his desire to have a new mate?

She knew the answer to that question. Snowfur would have wanted Thistleclaw to be happy, regardless of whether it meant moving on and finding a new mate or not. And perhaps Thistleclaw just missed having a mate to care for Whitekit with. Maybe that was why he had started looking for a new one already.

_But still, why me?_ Lilyspark asked herself for what felt like the millionth time that night. Somehow, she didn't think she would ever figure out the answer.

At the moment though, she had more pressing matters to think about. Thistleclaw had gone out with the twilight patrol, but as soon as he came back, she knew Sunstar would be informing him of what his punishment was. And if she knew her father at all, he would be sure to dole out the most horrific punishment anyone could ever think of. Being the Clan leader's daughter certainly had its benefits.

But looking at the situation from a purely unbiased perspective, did Thistleclaw really deserve that?

Most of her wanted to say that he did. After all, even if he hadn't done anything to hurt her _yet_, there was no indication that he wouldn't have if she hadn't gone to Sunstar about her concerns. As far as Lilyspark was concerned, she had been perfectly justified in nipping his behavior in the bud before it got too out of control.

Yet at the same time, there was a small seed of doubt that appeared to have lodged itself permanently in her chest. Sunstar was supposed to be fair, and was it really fair to punish Thistleclaw for something he _might _have done? There were a lot of cats who _might _commit a crime sometime in the future. If they started going that route, then they should probably just exile the entire Clan and be done with it.

Besides, she still had Whitekit to think about. If Sunstar chased Thistleclaw out of the Clan, then Whitekit would lose both of his parents before he even left the nursery. When it came down to it, Lilyspark had to admit that the thought of having to live with Thistleclaw wasn't nearly as bad as the thought of her nephew losing his father so soon after losing his mother. Anyway, maybe all Thistleclaw needed was a bit of time to get his head on straight.

_What would Snowfur have wanted me to do? _

There was no denying the answer to that question either. Her sister would have wanted her to show mercy–not expected it, perhaps, but wanted it. Even though Lilyspark and Bluefur had made no secret of their distaste for Thistleclaw, Snowfur had never stopped hoping that one day, they would be able to get along. The least she could do was honor her sister's wishes.

Suddenly, Lilyspark realized that there were voices coming from outside the warriors' den. Climbing out of her nest, she pushed her way outside to see Sunstar and Thistleclaw arguing in the middle of the camp. Somehow, neither tom had noticed her yet. Curious, she padded over to them, trying to hear what was being said.

"I'll give you one chance to explain why you thought you could get away with what you did to Lilyspark," Sunstar growled. "Though I doubt anything you have to say will be good enough."

Thistleclaw was as stubborn as a badger and as arrogant as a peacock. So Lilyspark was more than a little surprised when the spiky-furred warrior simply bowed his head and meowed softly, "I...I can't explain."

"You can't explain," her father repeated disdainfully. "So what you're telling me is that you tormented her mentally for no reason at all?"

"No!" Thistleclaw exclaimed, shaking his head fervently. "That's not what I meant at all. I only meant that the reason...well, it's not something I can really get into."

"Can't or won't?" Sunstar challenged the younger warrior.

The gray and white tom hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Both, I guess."

At that moment, Lilyspark decided to intervene. Pushing her way forward, she cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the two toms. "What's going on here?"

"It's alright, Lilyspark," Sunstar meowed gently. "You can go back to sleep. I was just having a discussion with Thistleclaw about the way he's been treating you."

"Oh. I see." She couldn't help noticing that Thistleclaw had suddenly become very interested in his paws. "Actually, about that...so, er, what were you planning to do to him?"

"Well, I know you said you didn't want me making an announcement to the Clan, and I have no intention of breaking that promise. However, I still do not believe that it is safe for you if he remains in ThunderClan any longer. Therefore, once he explains why he behaved toward you the way he did, I will personally escort him out of our territory," her father answered, flashing a glare at the spiky-furred tom.

"_What?_" Thistleclaw cried out, his head snapping up.

"You haven't left me much choice," Sunstar meowed in a voice devoid of all pity. "You've tormented my daughter, and you refuse to provide any explanation as to why. If I allow you to remain in ThunderClan, I have no faith that you won't continue your harassment of her."

"But what about my son?" Thistleclaw protested. "I can't leave him! Think about what you're doing to Whitekit. It's not fair to take away both of his parents from him. I'll leave Lilyspark alone from now on, I promise."

"Even if you leave her alone, what's to stop you from harassing any of the other mollies in ThunderClan?" Sunstar challenged him. "Exiling you is the only way to ensure the safety of the Clan. As for your son, well, perhaps you should have thought about that before you started pestering Lilyspark."

"I can change, I promise!" the gray and white tom pleaded. "I won't bother Lilyspark or anyone else in ThunderClan again. You have my word, I'll swear it on anything you like! Just, please, don't take Whitekit away from me too!"

_Don't take Whitekit away from me too!_

And finally, Lilyspark understood. Thistleclaw wasn't pursuing her because he was suddenly interested in _her_; he just wanted someone to remember Snowfur by. Plenty of cats had remarked on how much she resembled her dead sister. It seemed so obvious now, Lilyspark almost wondered how she hadn't realized the truth in the first place. For the first time, a new emotion filled her insides as she glanced furtively at her sister's former mate: sympathy.

"Thistleclaw," she meowed, surprising even herself at how gentle her voice came out. "You have to understand, I'm not _her_."

Thistleclaw glanced over at her. "I know," he meowed. "I never said you were, Lilyspark."

"But you want me to be," she countered.

He didn't answer, but the look on his face told her that she had been right.

"I don't blame you for wanting her back. I miss Snowfur just as much as you do. She was my sister and one of my best friends," Lilyspark continued softly. "I would give anything in the world to have her back, if not for my sake, then for Whitekit's. For Bluefur too, considering they were littermates. But she's gone, Thistleclaw, and she won't be coming back. We've got to learn to live without her...all of us do."

For several moments, Thistleclaw just stared down at the ground, not saying a word. Finally, he looked up at her again. His yellow eyes were filled with unimaginable pain and anguish, so much so that Lilyspark almost wanted to reach out and place her tail on his shoulder. She refrained, however, not entirely sure how well he would take that coming from her.

"I'm sorry," he meowed finally. "I...I wasn't thinking clearly. You're right, I just wanted Snowfur back. And you remind me so much of her...I guess I just got confused sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Lilyspark repeated dubiously.

"Okay, maybe more than just _sometimes_," Thistleclaw admitted.

She shook her head and looked over to Sunstar, who had remained silent during the entire exchange. The bright ginger tom's expression was unreadable, and Lilyspark wondered if he was reconsidering his punishment for Thistleclaw.

"Don't send him away for good," she meowed, addressing her father now. "He's right about one thing, it wouldn't be fair to Whitekit if we took his father away from him. Especially so soon after Snowfur died. And I think...no, I know Snowfur would have wanted her son to have his father around. Anyway, you heard him just now. He only missed Snowfur...and honestly, I can't fault him for that."

"You're the only one who has any right to decide, Lilyspark," Sunstar replied. "But think about what he's done."

"I know," she answered. "He can leave the Clan for one moon–that should give him enough time to figure things out–but don't exile him forever."

Her father hesitated for a moment, then dipped his head. "Very well. One moon it is, then."

Thistleclaw visibly sagged with relief. "Thank you! I know it's more than I deserve, and I..."

Sunstar just nodded. "You'd best be on your way, then."

Lilyspark stood by and watched as the spiky-furred warrior turned and made his way toward the gorse tunnel. As he disappeared from view, she felt a rush of cool air and caught a whiff of a painfully familiar scent. Snowfur's voice rang out softly through the air, as clear as the night sky overhead, though Sunstar gave no indication that he heard what was being said.

_Thank you._


End file.
